Making Up for Lost Time
by PrincessStarberry
Summary: The prequel to A Day of Joy; what happens when our friends from OOT grow up normally? It's ZeLink but others definitely factor into things. Rated T for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Making up for Lost Time**

**Yay! I'm a writer now! Thanks to Legend of Zelda 4 Life, Wavebreeze, and Starlll for your reviews and encouragement. This is the prequel to A Day of Joy…..it's OOT, right after Link goes back to the castle after time is turned back. This is a ZeLink fluffy thing, though there will certainly be some drama and adolescent angst, as we are going to watch our favorite Hero and Princess grow up as normal people (by normal I mean not in drag or locked away in the Sacred Realm)…..no Ganondork…..he's in the Evil Realm where he belongs.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda; Nintendo does. If I did, I would convert my gazillions to gold coins and go swimming in them like in the Duck Tales cartoon.**

**Prologue**

The warm sunshine of a late spring afternoon shone down on the young boy in green as he cautiously snuck past the guards stationed throughout the gardens of Hyrule Castle. He paused briefly before entering the castle's courtyard, taking a moment to rest and attempt to calm his nerves; would she even _remember _him? Would she call for her guards? Or worse, what if she _did _remember, and…….

_Stop it_, he told himself. _You won't know unless you talk to her. What are you so afraid of anyway; you fought a dragon and a giant drumming eye and even that big ugly pig Ganon, and now you're afraid of a little girl? Some Hero_. He took a deep breath and slowly moved across the grass to the stone pedestal, where the Princess of Hyrule, the Seventh Sage, the girl he'd thought of in all the darkest moments of his quest to save the kingdom, stood looking in the window of the castle, just as she'd been doing the first time they'd met. As she'd done in the other time, she suddenly turned around, a quick gasp escaping before she covered her mouth with her hand.

This time, however, she didn't tell Link about her nightmares, and her distrust of Ganondorf, and how he had to collect Spiritual Stones; she simply walked toward him, slowly, her face still wearing the same expression of surprise. When she reached him, was close enough to touch him, to see his chest move as he breathed, she began laughing, throwing her arms around him, holding him as if she never wanted to let him go. He returned the embrace, laughing also, pulling her close enough to lay his head on her shoulder, as she was once again a few inches taller than he, breathing a sigh of relief that she _did_ remember him, and seemed happy to have him there.

"Link, you're here! I didn't know if you would come back; I didn't know if you'd even _remember_ anything. How are you?" She pulled back slightly, arms still around him but looking down into his face, her own the very picture of unadulterated joy.

"I'm okay. I was afraid _you _wouldn't remember; like maybe you'd send me to the dungeon or something." Zelda giggled at this, then smiled sincerely as she spoke.

"Link, I don't think anything, or anyone short of the Goddesses themselves, could make me forget you……and I don't think they would do that, do you? I think…..," she paused, looking off into the distance, "I think they _want_ us to be together; to be friends now that things are back to normal. Don't you?" She took his arms from around her waist and held them in her own, their eyes, similar shades of deep blue, locked.

Link thought, _I sure have come a long way from being the kid without a fairy_. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought he would ever leave Kokiri Forest, let alone become a Hero and, apparently, friends with a princess. Of course, he had no problem with this; who _wouldn't _want to be friends with Princess Zelda? She was kind and caring and was always thinking of others. Not to mention the fact that she was the most beautiful girl Link had ever met.

"Yes, Princess," he said, blushing and looking down toward their feet.

"Link, look at me. She dropped one hand and lifted his chin so their eyes met once again. For a minute, he was simultaneously thrilled and terrified that she was going to kiss him. "I order you to call me Zelda," she said, her face displaying her amusement at his sudden shyness.

"Yes ma'am," he told her and she giggled, elbowing him gently in the ribs.

"Not _ma'am_; I'm just a kid, like you. Call me _Zelda_, silly. Say it with me; Zel-da," she said, as if he was a baby that was learning to talk.

He chuckled softly. "Okay, _Zelda_. Tell me what you were looking at through the window. I know it can't be Ganondorf, because you wouldn't be so happy if he was still around."

"Come and look," she told him, taking his hand and leading him to the window, where they'd once spied on the evil Gerudo king. Inside, much to Link's relief, were several servants hanging a painting of the castle. Link had seen that exact view many times before; it must've been done from the top of the gatehouse. It was the only painting whose subject was recognizable to Link; all the others were of people he'd never seen, even on his travels throughout Hyrule. "My father had this commissioned several months before Ganondorf showed up; it was just completed this morning. It makes me feel hopeful; that this time maybe things will be better. And I, we, owe it all to you, Link," she said softly, then bent to kiss him on the cheek, only he turned his head at the last minute, and their lips met for just a fraction of a second before both moved back, blushing profusely.

"Ahem," they heard behind them and both turned. "Princess, I thought you and our young Hero might enjoy a snack," the tall Sheikah woman said as she moved toward the two youngsters, carrying a tray with two bottles of milk and a plate of cookies.

"Thank you, Impa," Zelda replied, blushing even deeper as the Sheikah caught the princess' eye and gave her a knowing look. "We'll eat it over here," she said, pointing to the edge of the platform. Water from the narrow pool surrounding the courtyard on three sides flowed smoothly underneath the stones, and the princess removed her slippers and stockings before dangling her feet over the edge, her toes grazing the water. "Come on Link," she said, patting the ground next to her. He hesitantly moved toward the princess, unsure about what Zelda's nursemaid must think of him after appearing at such an inopportune time. What if she thought he'd kissed the princess on purpose; would she tell the king? He kept his eyes down, as if shamed, not aware that behind the woman's red eyes and neutral expression, she was amused at these young pups; she'd detected a hint of innocently budding attraction when first they'd met, and was not at all surprised that it had come to this, though she'd seen enough to know that the meeting of their lips was an accident. She would have a good laugh over the scene she'd witnessed later.

"Is that all, Princess?" Impa asked, and when Zelda confirmed this with a distracted nod as she handed the boy a bottle of milk, the Sheikah took her leave.

"Do you think we'll be in trouble for…..will she tell your father?" Link asked Zelda worriedly as he placed the milk bottle on the stones before removing his boots and socks and placing his sweaty feet in the water below.

"No, of course not," Zelda replied after swallowing a bite of cookie. "Impa is….well, she's a Sheikah so she doesn't always come right out and say things directly, but I would've known by the tone of her voice if she was angry. I almost think she thought it was funny. She ….I…..in the other time….." Zelda trailed off, deciding there was no _way_ she was going to tell him about how she'd discussed her feelings toward him with her guardian in the previous stream of time. She frantically searched her mind for a change of subject, then noticed for the first time that Link was alone; the little blue ball of light that had been with him in the other time was missing.

"Link, where's Navi?" she asked him, then regretted it when she saw him pause mid-chew and a sad expression wash over his face.

"I don't know. She left after I put the sword back and turned into a kid again. She didn't even say goodbye or anything. Stupid fairy," he sighed huffily, but the princess knew he was hurt at being abandoned in such a way.

"I'm sorry," she said, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. "I know she meant a lot to you, and Saria told me that you waited a long time to get a fairy in the first place (she had briefly met the forest girl in the Chamber of Sages, and somehow the conversation always led back to Link). Maybe she just went back to the forest"

"No," he said, closing his eyes and taking a big drink of milk in hopes of swallowing the lump in his throat. "She's gone…….I just….._know_, somehow." His voice cracked on the word _know_, and Zelda thought that he looked as though he might burst into tears any second. She knew he didn't want to, and to see him like that would break her heart, so she tried to distract him.

"So, when's the wedding?" she asked him, smirking. His sadness was immediately replaced with a look of alarm, and his cheeks turned a shade similar to that of the Goron tunic.

"What?! Zelda, what are you talking……we can't get married, we're just ten years old!" he exclaimed. The princess, too, turned bright red, partly from his insinuation of marriage between them, but mostly because she was laughing so hard that milk came out her nose, which made Link laugh. _Mission accomplished_, she thought.

"No, you and Princess Ruto. She says the two of you are engaged," Zelda said when she'd recovered her ability to speak.

Link's face was one of frustration. "We are NOT! I've told her a hundred times, I am _not_ going to marry her! _You_ made me get that stupid Spiritual Stone and now she thinks….ugh!" he said, wrinkling his nose in a way that made Zelda giggle. _He's so cute when he does that_, she thought.

"Oh, come on Link; don't you want to be king of the Zoras?"

"No! First of all, she's a _fish_, which means she's cold and wet and slimy, and second of all, I don't like her; she's a spoiled little bossy brat that made me carry her around all through Lord Jabu-Jabu, and I am _not_ marrying her no matter _what_! What are _you_ laughing at?" Link asked, his hackles still raised after his rant. Zelda was rolling in the grass, gasping for breath, and everytime she thought she'd regained control, his cross expression cracked her up. She was laughing so hard that she didn't see the young Hero dip his empty milk bottle in the pool and fill it, or the mischief in his eyes as he held it over her head. He'd only meant to _pretend_ he was going to pour it, so she'd stop laughing about him and that stupid Zora girl, but he tipped it a bit too far, soaking her headdress and earning him a look of incredulous irritation.

"LINK! What was _that_ for?" she shreiked.

"Oh, no, Zelda, I'm so sorry…..I was just….." He was gonna get it now for sure; who knew what kind of trouble you could get in for disrespecting the princess in that way, even if it was just an accident? She sat up, doing her best to scowl at him,arms crossed in a gesture of irritation, but a moment later she was laughing just as hard as before, and he joined her, relieved that she wasn't mad. Not that she was going to let him get away with it……..

"Zelda, you little….." he said as she poured the contents of her own bottle directly on top of his hat, making him glad that Navi _wasn't_ in there right now. He stepped off the side of the platform so he was wading in the pool, then used his hands to scoop up _more _water, which ended up on her back this time. The princess jumped up and she, too, was in the shallow pool, the hem of her long dress becoming soaked as she concentrated on splashing him, their irritation quickly dissolving into childish sqeals and shouts of laughter. Within two minutes, they were soaked, and any inch which might've been spared was no longer when the Princess of Hyrule, heir to the throne, jumped on the back of the Hero of Time, who had saved the kingdom from certain destruction, forcing him down into the water with an enormous _splash_.

Just inside the window through which the two had been peeking less than an hour ago, the King of Hyrule smiled as he watched his daughter and her new friend play, as children were meant to do (as opposed to fighting monsters). After a few minutes, he summoned a page, bidding him to fetch Impa from her quarters. When the Sheikah, who had been on the opposite side of the castle and was unaware of the water battle, appeared, she knelt before the king, arising in surprise at the sound of splashing water, childish voices and laughter coming from outside the window. Her eyes widened as she saw the princess tackle the young Hero, knocking him into the water for a second time. Impa was sure this did _not_ look as though she'd been keeping careful watch over her young charge and guest. "Your Majesty, I will see to it that the Princess and Hero are brought inside immediately, and I will speak with her about……"

"That will not be necessary; they are only children after all, and perhaps I was a bit too restrictive with my daughter before. Look how happy she……." Something Impa had said suddenly registered with the monarch. "Did you say Hero? That young man is the Hero of Time?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Of course, he was a bit older when he defeated Ganondorf, but…."

"Now he will have the opportunity, as does my daughter, to grow up as a child should. And perhaps he will be able to temper Zelda's impulsive streak a bit; she might be more willing to listen to someone her own age. He has saved the kingdom from certain destruction; certainly he can mind one little girl.

"Your Majesty, I admit I'm confused. What do you propose?"

"We will find out if the young Hero would be interested in becoming the princess' personal guard. If so, he will accompany her as she goes about her duties, and whenever she leaves the castle grounds. We will also set him up to live here full-time. Do you think that would be satisfactory?"

"Well, sir, he is from the Kokiri Forest; he was left there by his dying mother when he was only a baby. I do not know how he would feel about leaving the only home he's ever known. Still, he and the princess have had a….connection, I'll say, since the first time they met. You can rest assured, Your Majesty, that young Link would do anything to protect the princess, even die for her." She sighed heavily, remembering the helplessness of watching that final battle from the Chamber of Sages, of watching two so young battle such a great evil. "He almost did, you know. If she had not used her magic to hold back that horrible beast so that he could deliver the final blow….." she trailed off, not wanting to think of what might have happened if Ganondorf had not been locked inside the Evil Realm. "Yes, I agree; he would be the ideal companion and protector for the princess, but do not be surprised if their relationship becomes deeper. I was with her almost every day in the other time, even when she had to go into hiding and disguise herself in order to teach the Hero the songs he must learn to warp throughout the kingdom. One night, while he was fighting in an especially grueling temple, she told me she thought she was in love with him. There is an attraction there even now, and it will only grow as they do.

The king looked out the window again, where the two blond children were wringing water out of their respective headpieces. The Hero stepped out of the water onto the grass, then placed his hand out to the princess to aid her, blushing as she thanked him, rubbing the back of his neck with his other hand as he did when embarrassed. She sat down on the grass, pulling his on his hand until he was beside her, then lay back, pointing at the clouds slowly passing overhead. He lay beside her, pointing to another formation, saying something unheard at this distance that made her laugh. " Impa, they are only ten. I think it is a bit premature to be thinking of anything but friendship." The middle-aged monarch chuckled at the thought of these two children growing up and falling in love, and then said, "Impa, find the children some dry clothes and tell the boy to meet me in my study in half an hour. In the meantime I will speak with Ronan (Ronan was the captain of the guards).

The Sheikah woman did a double-take. "Your Highness, do you mean to say….."

"Yes, Impa," the king laughed, "That boy has saved us all; the least I can do is to see that he becomes a knight."

**Okay, ** **what think you? I've already written (but haven't posted) some one-shots for each of the years between 10 and 17, but since I've decided to make an actual story of this, I'll gladly take suggestions for ideas to supplement what I've got thus far. This can be events you'd like to see happen (it would be great if you could indicate an age when said event might take place), characters you'd like to hear from (I'm going to be putting a bit of MM stuff in, and have already decided that the other sages and Malon will be featured) and even the structure (I thought of doing a chapter for Link and a chapter for Zelda for each year, but I'm not sure). I'll be sure to give credit for any ideas I use. Anyhoo, rate and review; I get really excited about reviews (I almost cried last time I was so happy!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey to all. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Took me awhile to get an idea of the pacing I need for this story, and I've decided to do a chapter per season per year (as in one for spring, summer, autumn, and winter for each year 10-17…..thought of it while watching Juno last week and decided it would be more manageable and enjoyable than a gargantuan year-long chapter per year). However, that doesn't mean that every bit of the season, as in all three months, will be portrayed, as that would take forever and be boring and I would go crazy……and this wouldn't be finished until I'm 60. A chapter may only cover a month or two, or even just a few weeks, depending on what I decide to do to (oops…with) my characters. I have some ideas already for specific events in future chapters, but suggestions for what you'd like to see are welcome (think of how life was for you in those years, maybe; what were your experiences? Fluff? Drama? Angst?) This is my first full-length chapter, and it was a doozy to get right; I tried really hard to make it match the style of the prologue, but it's not perfect by any means. In this chapter we're going to meet our main supporting cast members and see what their personalities are like and how they relate to each other as well as ZeLink, who are the leads. I also express my take on the whole Sheik thing and it is based on my impression as I was actually playing the game, though I know there are many different theories on the subject (and yes, I have read the manga, but this is my story and I'm going to be a brat about it. ;P Speaking of brats, I kinda hate on Princess Ruto. A lot.) I'm trying to keep it somewhat lighthearted, but there are a few parts rated A for Angst, especially toward the end. Okay, gonna shut up now so you can all go read.**

**I don't own Zelda; just a copy of A Link to the Past and the Majora's Mask players' guide….and book 2 of the OOT manga (gotta get the first one)….although I've played several other games (like this one, which you can't beat with a Deku Stick) courtesy of my brother and cousins……and the fine folks at Nintendo of course, who actually own everything Zelda-related and make a ton of money off of suckers like me. Any other works referenced also belong to their respective owners, not me. Also, all of Zelda's lines in the last scene come from the flashback in Majora's Mask (after you beat Skull Kid the first time)……but I inserted all the drama myself. :] **

**Making Up for Lost Time**

**Chapter 1-Ten-Spring**

After changing into dry clothes borrowed from a young pageboy, Link had spoken with the king and his advisors, and had accepted the offers of knighthood and the job as protector of the princess (he would get to spend every day with Zelda _and get paid for it!_). The following morning he awoke well-rested and well-fed for the first time in quite awhile, and played the Minuet of Forest on the Fairy Ocarina, which Saria had given him when he left the forest to embark on his quest to save Hyrule. Within minutes he materialized from a stream of light and was standing in the Sacred Forest Meadow. The emerald-haired Sage of Forest was sitting on the familiar stump, eyes closed as she played the tune affectionately dubbed 'Saria's Song' by the Kokiri, her fairy flitting around in time to the music. Link took out his own ocarina and played the harmony to her melody, and after a few notes, she opened her eyes and stared, mouth open, at the Hero of Time.

"Link, you're little again!" she exclaimed, running toward him with her arms outstretched. When they collided halfway between the warp pedestal and the stump, the force was enough to swing both of them around. They laughed, glad to be together again as they'd been so many other times before, their laughter growing as they lost their balance and tumbled down to the soft grass covering the forest floor. When their sides ached from laughing and their breathing finally returned to normal, Link addressed Saria's earlier comment.

"Yep, I'm little. It's kinda strange; Zelda says it's like we're in a play, and the first performance wasn't very good so we went back and started it again from the beginning."

"Oh, you've seen the princess?" Saria asked, surprised and a bit disappointed that Link had seen Zelda before he'd come to the forest.

"Yeah; I went to the castle yesterday, and guess what, Saria? The King of Hyrule is going to _knight_ me. _And_ I get to be Zelda's personal guard. Isn't that great?"

"But what about Impa?" she asked him. The Sage of Shadow had been almost like a mother to Saria when they'd been in the Sacred Realm, holding the little girl in her arms when the battle between good and evil had become more than the Forest Sage could bear to watch. Saria was cautious about giving her approval for Link's new position if it meant her Sheikah friend would be out of a job.

"She'll still be Zelda's nursemaid, but since she's a sage now, and serves on the Royal Council, she has other responsibilities. Besides, the king says Zelda's a tricky little thing who needs someone her own age to keep her out of trouble, so since I'm the Hero of Time and all, he thought it would be a good job for me. And those are his words, not mine….so don't tell Zelda I said that about her, okay?"

Saria laughed and said, "All right, I won't, if you won't tell her I said she can be really stubborn, and you deserve a medal if you can get her to listen to you…….reminds me of someone else I know," she said, poking the tip of his nose with her finger.

"I am _not_ stubborn; I'm…..determined. And Zelda is…..a really good person," he said, defending his new charge.

"I know that, silly; I've met her. She's nice, and she was a big help on your journey; we owe Hyrule's safety to both of you, really, and I know you'll take good care of her. Wow; you're gonna be a knight! I'll bet you're the youngest knight ever, huh?"

"That's what the king said." Link said, rubbing his neck bashfully.

Saria sighed wistfully, then continued, "I guess this means you'll be living at the castle now, huh?"

"Yeah; I came here to visit but I also came to get the last of my stuff. There are a few things in my treehouse that won't fit in my hat," he said wryly as they rose and began walking back into the Lost Woods, toward the tunnel that lead to Kokiri Forest.

"Like that cow the ranch girl had sent over here. I'll bet Navi wouldn't….." she paused midsentence, something suddenly occuring to her. "Link, where _is_ Navi? She usually comes out to say hello to Lili and me first thing. Did she stay at the castle; is she….."

"She's gone, Saria; just……. flew away at the Temple of Time," he said, somewhat irritably. He saw her flinch at his tone and said, more calmly, "I was hoping maybe you'd seen her, but……I don't know where she would be; she didn't say anything before she left. I guess I don't really need her anymore, since things are back to normal and I'm a Hylian anyway, but…..she didn't have to be so _rude_ about it."

"Link…….that's terrible." Saria said, her face and voice sympathetic as she took his hand and squeezed it. " I'll tell all the Kokiri and their fairies to look out for her, but……that's so strange; I've never heard of a fairy _leaving_ before. Maybe we should talk to the Great Deku Tree about it after we get your stuff. Would you like to do that?

"I guess so." Link said despondently, then said in a surprised tone, his eyes hopeful, "So the Great Deku Tree is alive?"

"Yeah; time went back to that first day when he summoned you, only he doesn't have monsters inside anymore; just the Spiritual Stone of Forest."

"Really…." Link said, his face spreading into a smirk. "I guess that means the Gorons have their ruby, and the Zoras have their Sapphire, right?"

"I would think so." She looked at him strangely. "Link why are you smiling like that? It's kinda weird."

"Because……this means that Princess Fish Face can't say I'm her fiancee anymore, since I don't have the 'Zora's Engagement Ring'." The last words were said in a high-pitched voice meant to mock the Zora princess.

The Kokiri girl was a bit surprised at her friend's vengance toward the Sage of Water. "Link, be nice; just because Ruto's….different….doesn't mean……"

"Saria, you've met her; how can you even _think_ that she's anything but a spoiled little baby?"

_Because she promised me she wouldn't tell anyone how I really feel about you_, Saria thought, but said, "She's a princess, Link; she's used to getting her way. I'm not saying that she's perfect, but….maybe you should get to know her better before you say things like that."

"If I got to know her any better, we'd be married and I'd be doomed to a life of eating raw fish. I think I'd rather eat rocks, like the Gorons do."

Saria sighed longingly and said, "I wonder how Darunia's doing? His son is probably just a baby again, or he may not even be born yet." Her face became animated, "Oohhh, I'll bet he's so cute! I'd love to see him sometime. The only other baby I've ever seen is you."

"Hey Saria," he said, pausing midstep, his voice filled with excitement. "You _can_ see him! There's a tunnel that leads to Goron City just ahead. I can go in and bomb some rocks and you can go see Darunia anytime you like…..except…..you can't leave the forest." It was as if the wind had gone out of his sails, and he looked down at his feet, feeling sorry that his friend could never visit 'Big Brother' when he could see in her eyes how much she wished to.

"Oh; I guess you don't know. Since I'm a Sage, I'm an exception to the rule; I can go anywhere in Hyrule you can!" Link's eyes lit up again, and he squeezed the Kokiri girl tightly against him.

"All right! Saria, it's so great…..we can go swimming and fishing at the lake, and ride horses, and…..do lots of fun things,and you can see your friends!" They had reached the tunnel to Goron City when Link realized he didn't have any bombs; his bomb bag was back at the castle. "Sorry……I'll do it the next time I'm here, I promise."

"Or, you could bomb from the other side if you visit Darunia first," she suggested helpfully.

"I'll get it done; don't worry."

"You really are a hero," she said, kissing him on the cheek and blushing brightly.

"Saria, are you okay?" Link asked, concerned when he saw how red her face was. "You think you're coming down with something? Maybe we should talk to the Great Deku Tree another time. We need to get you home in case you have a fever or something."

Saria could only nod; she didn't know what else to say. She _certainly_ couldn't tell him the truth; that she was blushing because she really liked him and had wanted to kiss him like that for a long time.

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When they arrived in Kokiri Forest, Link's first sight was the person he least wanted to see. Mido, the self-proclaimed Boss of the Kokiri, came running toward the tunnel to greet Saria, but stopped when he saw that Link was with her. "Oh…..it's you," the redhead said, crossing his arms and turning up his nose at the Hero of Time.

Saria's face became cross, and she put her hands on her hips. "Mido, you're being _very_ rude. Link is a hero now; you should start treating him like one."

"Some hero. He doesn't even have a _fairy_!" the Kokiri boy shouted gleefully, then, "Hey; what was _that_ for?" when Link pushed him down and ran toward his treehouse. Saria followed; she was slightly taller than Link again, catching up to him as he was about to climb his ladder.

"Link…..you can't listen to Mido; he's just trying to upset you," she said, as Link packed the remainder of his belongings in a bag Saria had sewn of cloth made from Deku leaf fibers.

"Well, it worked." Link said in a huffy voice. "He just _had_ to bring it up, didn't he? He always does that, and I'm sick of it! I'm _glad _I don't live here anymore, because it means I don't have to put up with his……." he barely refrained from using a word he'd heard while at the Gerudo's Fortress, one that he knew to be bad. "I'll miss you, Saria, but I'm glad you can leave the forest now, so we don't have to deal with the Kokiri Idiot when we're together

His packing finished, he took his ocarina from its pouch and played the Prelude of Light before he could change his mind and go back to punch Mido in the nose.

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The following day, guests had begun arriving at Hyrule Castle for the many events that would take place to honor Link as the Hero of Time. There would be a banquet for the sages that evening, then a parade the following morning. After lunch, Link would be knighted, and another banquet would immediately follow.

After he'd returned from the forest Link had spend the remainder of the previous day with Ronan, who went over the rituals of the knighting ceremony with Link so many times that the Hero dreamed of it that night. He also dreamed of Navi. He was back in Kokiri Forest with Saria, and when Mido had teased him about not being a hero, Navi dive-bombed the Kokiri boy, pulling his hair and biting him while Link and Saria rolled on the ground from laughing so hard. Navi chased Mido deep into the Lost Woods, then returned to Link, saying, 'Come on, partner, let's go home', and Saria had cheerfully waved goodbye as Link and Navi turned into beads of light and warped back to the castle.

He woke up smiling, but the smile faded when he realized it was just a dream; Navi was still gone. He got out of bed and washed the sleep from his eyes in the adjoining bath, marveling once again at the castle's indoor plumbing. After he dressed in a clean tunic and his brown leather shorts, he walked to Zelda's room, two doors down from his, and knocked, wondering if she wanted to walk down to breakfast with him. He was startled to see a familiar, unwanted face when the door was cracked from within. _First Mido, now her; the Goddesses must be mad at me_, he thought before he was tackled by a hyperexcited Princess Ruto.

"Oh, my Hero, thank goodness you're okay! Now that that meanie Ganondorf is out of the way, we can finally get married…..no, let's wait a few years; you're _sooooo_ handsome when you're older, and ……"

She was interrupted by Zelda, who opened the door and said, "Get off of him, Ruto; he can't breathe." Sure enough, the Hero was frantically pointing to his neck, where Ruto had wrapped her arms to hold herself on his back.

"Oops; sorry, my love," the Zora continued, squeezing his arm with her slippery fish hands, then prattled on about 'their' dream wedding. _She sure likes to hear herself talk_, Link thought darkly. _Maybe I should've just let Lord Jabu Jabu digest her_.

"Look, Princess, I'm hungry and I've got a long day ahead of me. Can we continue this…..discussion over breakfast?" he asked, rolling his eyes when Zelda met his gaze, and the Hylian princess covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Of course, darling; lead the way to the sashimi." Ruto grabbed his arm and practically drug him down the stairs. Link looked back and made a disgusted face at Zelda; watching the Zora princess eat raw fish for breakfast was _not_ his idea of a good time.

Zelda began laughing so hard that she had to sit down on the steps and Ruto looked back at her, whispering to Link, "I think she may be a little crazy," and Link moaned in frustration at the prospect of being constantly followed by the _real_ crazy one for the next two days.

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All day long, Link tried, without success, to avoid Ruto; it was if she was tracking him. He ate, she was there. He took a break from his lessons on courtly manners and Hylian customs, she was there. He went up to his room to prepare for dinner with the Sages, she was waiting outside his door. _I guess I'll be lucky if she doesn't come out into the tub when I turn on the water_, he thought, and was so relieved when there were two locked doors between himself and the Zora princess that he stayed in the water until his fingers and toes wrinkled, and he barely had time to dress before the banquet started.

He had hoped that Ruto had gone on to the small dining room meant for gatherings of less than fifteen people, but no such luck; she was waiting outside his door, when he opened it and put her hands on her hips, saying, "What have you been _doing_ in there? The banquet starts in five minutes; we're gonna be late. This is the _third_ time you've kept me waiting like this, and I have half a mind to end our engagement right here and now."

Link knew that arguing with her would only make her hold steady to the notion that they were engaged, so he decided to trick her into breaking off the engagement that never was.

He looked down at the floor, shaking his head. "Yes, Ruto, you're right; I'm not good enough for you. You deserve to be with someone that _wants_ to carry you around and eat raw fish and live underwater all the time. I'm not even a prince; I used to live in the forest with a bunch of kids. You couldn't take me anywhere; I'd probably make somebody mad and accidentally start a war. And…..he added, hiding his joy that he might _finally_ be free of her unwanted attention, "our kids would look really weird. Not cute like Zora babies, or even Hylian babies, but……freaky." _Well played, Link_ he thought.

Her anger immediately dissolved and she replied, "But Linky…..I don't _care_ about any of that. I just want _you….." _in a whiny voice that made Link want to throw her in the Death Mountain volcano.

"Well……actually……since I don't have the Zora's Sapphire anymore, we're not engaged. And before you get any ideas about giving it to me……think about one thing. If we _did_ have weird little half-Zora, half-Hylian babies, I would never be home to take care of them, because I'd have to be here at the castle, working." He sighed dramatically and said, "You grew up with just one parent and I grew up with none; don't you think your future children deserve _more_ than you had?"

"But……I'll be all alone!" she said, her voice turning into a wail.

"You're the _princess_, Ruto; that's why they call you 'Princess Ruto'. I'm sure every Zora…boy, man, whatever they're called, _dreams _of marrying the princess, and doing all those things that Hylians, like me, don't like half as much as they would._ Like breathing the same air as you_. Plus, who wouldn't want to be king?

Her tears stopped and she sighed. "I guess you're right. But I'm still giving Zelda a piece of my mind about turning back time and ruining my plans"

_I think I might've liked Ganondorf's plans for the future more than hers_, Link thought as he led the princess downstairs, his expression neutral, while he smiled triumphantly on the inside.

*************************************************************************

"Brother!" As soon as Link entered the dining room, he was squeezed into a rib-crushing hug by Darunia, leader of the Gorons, Sage of Fire.

"Hey, Darunia, "Link managed to squeak. "Can…..can you put me down?"

"Sorry, Brother," he apologized. "Come meet Darla, my wife. She was in hiding in the other time." He lead Link over to a Goron woman whose back was turned, talking to Nabooru. She was wearing a dress with a jagged hem and when she turned around, Link was speechless; her stomach was big enough that Link and Zelda could _both_ fit.

"Hello, Little Brother. I'm so honored to finally meet our son's namesake. Darunia _insisted_ that we couldn't name him anything else, and now…..to think that he'll be named after the Hero of Time….I can't wait till he gets here again so you can see him as a baby, since you won't be in the Sacred Realm this time." Her personality was as warm as her husband's, but she was more subdued in physical show of affection, choosing only to 'pat' Link on the head, which gave him the sensation that his skull might be fractured.

"Darla, you gotta be more careful; you're gonna damage something up there," Nabooru said, walking past the Goron to Link's other side. "How go things, kiddo?"

"Good, and yourself?" he said, remembering what Matilda, Zelda's etiquette instructor, had taught him.

"Well, I'm not on guard duty at the bridge anymore, and things are a lot better since you kicked Ganondorf's sorry…." She was interrupted by Impa, who gave the now-sixteen-year-old Gerudo a warning glare.

"Little pitchers have big ears, my friend. It would be unfortunate if Link learned such language and inadvertently taught it to the princess; her father would be unhappy, to say the least."

"Sorry," Nabooru grumbled. "Of course, they're not gonna be this innocent forever; someday….."

"Yes, and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Impa said, afraid to think of what the desert dweller might've said; she had no regard for propriety, even around children.

Just then the King of Hyrule entered, fashionably late, followed by his daughter, who was dressed in blue. Everyone in the room bowed, except Link, who could only stare at how pretty Zelda looked, until Ruto elbowed him and he bent at the waist until the king and princess had taken their places and the party began.

*************************************************************************

"Do you, Link, solemnly swear, to uphold the laws of Hyrule, to pledge your loyalty to the Royal Family, and to enforce the principles of the kingdom as long as you live?" The young Hero knelt before the king the following afternoon, nervous in front of the large crowd who had come to see him knighted and receive various other accolades afforded to the Hero of Time. The princess sat on her own little throne to his right, watching him, her eyes encouraging, calming his nerves somewhat.

"I do," he answered, still looking into Zelda's eyes, causing her to blush furiously. For a moment it felt almost as if……..and she wondered if, someday, when they were older, if it might come to that. He wasn't of noble blood, but he _was_ the Hero of Time. That had to count for something.

The king took his ceremonial sword from its bejeweled sheath and held it aloft before saying, "I dub thee Sir Link, the Hero of Time, in the name of Din (he placed the blade lightly on Link's left shoulder) and of Nayru (this time it was the right) and of Farore (back to the left). May your days serving the Royal Family be many, and may your love for your kingdom remain in your heart always." A string orchestra played the opening notes to the Hylian anthem and the entire room began singing. Link was still a little unsure of the words and barely moved his lips, while Zelda sang loudly in a voice that was surprisingly strong for a little girl. When the song ended, the Royal Cleric intoned the words of the Anulus Beo, in a language that Link did not understand; he thought it might be Ancient Hylian but he wasn't sure. Afterwards, the party recessed into the Great Hall, where he spent over an hour receiving guests, being hugged and kissed and even proposed to on behalf of more than one young girl by fathers who told him they would be proud to call the Hero of Time "son". While trying to dissuade a particularly overzealous man, Link shot Zelda, who was standing nearby talking with Ruto and Saria, a helpless look, and she left her friends to come to his aid.

"Sir Link, I believe there is someone very important who wishes to speak with you. Excuse us please, sir,"

"Of course, Princess, he said, bowing deeply." Zelda took Link's arm and lead him back to where she'd been before, and Link's face lit up in surprised pleasure. "Mal!" he exclaimed, hugging the redheaded ranch girl. Zelda raised an eyebrow at their embrace_. He just called her 'Mal' and now he's hugging so she looks like she might break in half? _ _I don't know if I like this._

"Hey Fairy Boy…..or should I say, 'Sir Fairy Boy,' now?" she said, giggling in a manner which the Princess of Hyrule took to be flirtatious, though Link seemed oblivious to it. In fact, it looked as though his mind was somewhere else completely. Zelda wondered if he was remembering how pretty Malon had probably been when she was seventeen, at the time when Zelda had been disguised as a boy……

Saria whispered something in Malon's ear that caused the smile to leave the redhead's face. "I'm sorry…..I didn't know…..about your fairy. Are you okay?" She looked genuinely concerned as she placed her hand on Link's shoulder, and Zelda was torn between appreciating her kindness toward the Hero and wanting to knock the redhead's hand off her arm. _What is wrong with you; you sound like Ruto, thinking things like that. Are you jealous of her? You should be ashamed of yourself, Zelda; she seems nice, and she's only trying to help her friend; your friend._

Link sighed and said, "If you don't mind, I don't want to talk about it." That same sad, almost haunted, look always appeared on his face when Navi was mentioned, and Zelda was becoming concerned about him.

"Well…okay…….so, what do you want to talk about?" Malon asked, feeling awkward; Princess Zelda must think she was an idiot.

"How's Epona?" Link asked.

Malon smiled and said, "Oh, she's fine; I brush her everyday and there's plenty of fresh grass at the ranch; guess it can't get much better if you're a horse. She misses you, though, I can tell. She's not used to being cooped up on the ranch; you should come get her, take her out for a ride. Bring your friends if you'd like." She looked at the other three girls, and Zelda could see past her casual confidence; her eyes looked unsure, as if she wasn't sure how, or even if, she could fit in with the three sages, two of whom were princesses. Zelda felt a sudden surge of sympathy for the rancher's daughter, and felt it was her royal duty to make the girl feel at ease.

"I would love to come to your ranch; I always wondered what it was like at the place where our milk and eggs comes from, and I love horses." Zelda told her, smiling genuinely at the redhead.

"Really? You…..but……you're the Princess of Hyrule. Shouldn't you be thinking about……tea and crumpets or something, and riding your fancy horse around in your own little arena?"

Zelda scoffed, "Probably, but what's the fun in that? I've always wanted to ride as fast as the horse would take me, out in the open, with no fences and no trainers telling me to slow down and sit up straight. She made a face that caused Malon to laugh, and she could see the tension drain from the other girl's face.

"Well, my dad doesn't care how people ride as long as they don't get hurt. And since you're the princess, maybe he would let me take some time away from my work to play with you."

"Can I come too?" Saria asked eagerly. "I've never seen a horse in person before."

"Neither have I," Ruto added. "But I'm not making any promises that I'll ride one. I have to keep my scales pretty, now that I have to find a _new_ fiancee," she said, glaring at Link, who was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Sure; like I said, all of you can come. Maybe I can get my dad to make a bonfire and we can roast marshmallows."

Their conversation ended prematurely when the king began tapping his wineglass with a fork and then made a speech about Link's bravery, followed by a toast in the young Hero's honor, and the five youth separated to go to their respective tables for dinner. When the meal was over, everyone went into the adjoining ballroom and a small ensemble played music. Link swore that he didn't know anything about dancing, but the girls made him do it anyway, and after several up-tempo numbers, he realized he was actually having a lot of fun. After the Goron Boogie (the dance which Darunia had done when Link played Saria's Song to cheer him up) was the Hylian waltz, and the breathless, sweaty new friends got bottles of root beer from the drink table and took them outside, where the stars were bright in the moonless sky. They sat, talking of Link's adventures and what life was like where each of them grew up, lying back in the grass when their bottles were empty, until one by one, everyone but Link and Zelda drifted off to sleep.

"So…..you really like 'Mal' don't you?" Zelda asked softly, feeling guilty about the pang of jealousy that continued to plague her even though she really did like Malon.

"Yeah; she really helped me out before. Epona was wild when she was young, and Malon sang this song that tamed her; she called it Epona's Song. When I went to the ranch for the first time, she taught it to me, so that when I grew up, I could just play the song and just like magic, that horse would come to me from almost anywhere in Hyrule. It made getting around a lot easier, especially before I learned all the warp songs," he said, nudging her gently on the arm, remembering _who_ had taught him those.

"But do you _like_ her? She could feel her pulse increase, and was almost afraid to hear his answer.

"Huh? Zelda, did you not listen to _anything_ I just told…….ohhhh," he said, finally realizing what she meant. "No I don't……I mean she's……but……" he swallowed nervously, and though it was too dark to see, Zelda knew he was rubbing the back of his neck.

"You called her Mal," Zelda said quietly. "I just….was wondering, since you gave her a nickname, if she was……well, you know. Special.

"No. I think she'd like to be, but I don't…..she's just my friend. Her mother died when she was seven and it's just her and her dad and their ranch hand, Mr. Ingo. She likes it when I visit because we're almost the same age; she has to work really hard and I know she gets lonely sometimes, being the only kid at the ranch. I think she would really like it if you were her friend; you live so close to each other, you could do stuff together all the time, and I know she'd like to have another girl around."

"Oh, well…..I really do like her, but I was just…..wondering, that's all."

"Here they are," a voice said from the nearby archway. They turned to find Impa standing there, along with King Zora and Talon. The adults crossed the courtyard and woke the three girls from their rest. Talon led his daugher toward his wagon, while King Zora slowly led Ruto to the pond dug especially for Zora guests of the Hylian Royal Family. Impa picked Saria up and said "Zelda, are you coming?" as she shifted the Sage of Forest's head onto her shoulder. Saria wrapped her arms around the Sheikah and continued sleeping.

"Yes, Impa," she said, yawning. She and Link gathered the empty bottles, so they could be melted down by a knight named Otto to be used in creating a mosaic portrait of Darunia that Darla had commissioned, then followed the Sage of Shadow inside, bidding her goodnight as she carried Saria to the guest quarters, before they continued down the hallway, stopping in front of their own rooms. Zelda yawned; the day had been long and full of excitement, and it was finally catching up with her. "Goodnight, Sir Link, the Hero of Time. Don't let the bedbugs bite."

He smiled at her sleepily, then said, "G'night, Zel. You're something special, you know that?" then entered his room, closing the door softly behind him. Zelda continued standing there, smiling so big her face began to hurt.

"Zelda, what are you doing? It's time for bed," Impa said when she returned five minutes later to see the princess still standing in the hall, the silly smile still on her face. The Sheikah looked at the princess, just standing and smiling, then shook her head in bemusement. "Come on, I'll help you unbutton your dress."

*****************************************************************************Two days later, Princess Zelda took her first trip to Lon Lon Ranch, where she rode a horse named Jonas bareback, legs astride, her hair flying around her until it was a tangled mass of knots. She and Link and Malon and Saria (Ruto had decided not to come; instead she had gone to Lake Hylia to visit her new crush, a Zora named Zuko) had races and climbed the ranch's lone tree and after a dinner of steaks grilled over the bonfire Talon had built, roasted and ate marshmallows until they were nearly sick. Talon had offered to let Link take Epona home that night, but he and Zelda were sure they would throw up if they attempted to climb on the horse's back, so they came back for her the next day. The following week, she wore an old dress borrowed from Malon, so she would appear inconspicuous, and went with Link into Castle Town. She beat him in eight out of ten Bombchu bowling games, gloating as if she'd just won a major war singlehandedly, and discovered the culinary masterpiece that was spicy Cucco wings (though she was careful not to overdo it, the memory of too many marshmallows still fresh in her mind). Afterwards, they went to the Shooting Gallery, where Link danced around after beating Zelda in _every_ round of Rupee shooting and tripped over his own feet, causing the princess to laugh once she knew he was okay. All the prizes he won, he gave to her, smiling shyly each time, in a way she found to be absolutely adorable.

And finally, one glorious day, he took her to Lake Hylia.

Link had never tried warping with more than himself and Navi before, but with Zelda standing behind him, arms wrapped around his waist while he played, they were soon transported to the island in the middle of the gleaming body of water.

"We did it, Zel!" he exclaimed, hugging her. "It worked! Now we can go anywhere I can warp and still be back in time for dinner!"

"Link, do you _ever _think about _anything_ besides eating?" she teased him.

"Yes……I think about lots of things. Riding Epona…….shooting Ruto with ice arrows……pushing smarty-pants princesses in the lake…..you know, things like that."

She laughed so hard she nearly tumbled down into the lake, which was still chilly, and would be for another month or so. "Well, the first one's good, but the other two are only good ways for you to get in big trouble. Besides, I thought Ruto was staying away from you, since she's decided not to marry you after all."

"I know……it's just funny to think about……she's standing there, whining about something stupid, and then she turns into a block of ice, frozen with some weird expression on her face."

"My father hired you to be a good influence on me, not to plan assassination attempts on neighboring kingdoms," Zelda told him, stifling another laugh.

"Well, I guess I have to behave now. Come, Princess," he said in a formal tone, holding his arm out for her to hold. "Let us cross this bridge to yonder Lakeside Laboratory." Zelda finally laughed and said, "You're such a moron."

"Thank you, I accept your compliment, Your Royal Highness."

As they walked the long stretch of bridge, she asked, "Do you remember the last time we were here?"

"Yeah, I do. It was after Ruto declared her undying love for me in the Chamber of Sages after I beat the Water Temple. I'm glad _that_ place is locked up; I hope they threw away the key." He made a face that let her know he had an even lower opinion of the temple below the lake than he held for its sage. "But yeah, I remember; you were standing back there on the island, and said stuff about how great it was that the lake was back to normal, and you jumped up into the tree when I wasn't looking and then you jumped into the lake and disappeared. Did you do that Deku nut thing underwater?"

"It's a secret to everybody……except me and Impa, that is," she teased him.

"Oh, come on Zel; you've gotta teach it to me. Pleeeeease?" he said, looking up at her with puppy dog eyes. "I'll be your best friend."

"You already are," she said, smiling down at him as she looked into his eyes.

"Really?" he said, stopping in his tracks, halfway between the smaller island and the Lakeside Laboratory, a surprised smile spreading over his face. "I…..you mean it?"

"Of _course_ I mean it. Of course, I'm best friends with Malon, too, but that's different because she's a girl."

"Well, I'm best friends with Saria, but…..well, she's a girl too, but…….if you can have two best friends so can I. So, friend, best friend, …..when do I learn the Deku nut trick?"

"You don't; I _told _you; it's a _secret_. Only the Sheikah can learn how."

"Come on……..it's not like you're a _real_ Sheikah; Sheik was just a disguise. I mean......" he broke off, blushing deeply as an unbidden thought entered his head, but he just _had_ to know. "Zelda, can I ask you something…..about Sheik?"

"I guess so," she said hesitantly, thrown off by his change in demeanor.

"When you were Sheik, were you really a boy? With…….you know…..boy stuff?" His voice got increasingly lower, so that the last words were nearly whispered.

Zelda, too, became embarrassed, and was at a loss for words for several moments. "Link….I can't believe you would…….no! I was just me _dressed_ like a boy with my hair covered up. I didn't have…..boy stuff, as you put it." Suddenly, the idea of taking a dive into the lake didn't seem so bad after all; it might cool the heat that had enveloped not just her face, but her entire body. She took his arm and pulled him toward the shore and he was afraid that he'd made her angry.

"Zel, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you……please don't tell anyone…..I was just…….please," he said desperately. When he let go of her hand, she turned around and looked at him. He looked absolutely terrified at her reaction.

"Link, listen; I'm not mad; it's just…….embarrassing……Times were so hard then, and I had to dress that way so that Ganondorf couldn't find me. Girls…..change…..a lot in those seven years; boys do too. It would've been a lot easier if I _had_ been a real boy," she thought sourly, not for the first time.

"What do you mean? I……you know what? I don't think I want to know," he said as they walked around the building in front of them to the doorway.

"No, you don't". _And I'm not looking forward to going through it again._

****************************************************************************

He dreamed of the scene at the lake that night, when he'd been there with Sheik as an adult. The Water Temple had been conquered, the lake had filled again, and Navi was there, floating around the island, finding what seemed like a million things he would've missed if he'd been on his own. The difference was, this time he knew that Sheik was really Zelda. When he arrived on the island, he walked toward her, just as he had before, and reached out and took her hand. She was still trying to pretend she was a boy, and pulled her hand away, but he reached up and pulled off her cowl, her golden hair flowing down her back. Then he pulled her into her arms, and kissed her, for a long time, the way he'd seen two of the castle's servants do the previous morning. Then Sheik had broken away, doing as before; jumping into the tree, then into the lake. This time, though, Link caught up to her, kissing her again as they floated deeper and deeper into the lake, her magic and his Zora tunic keeping them from drowning. Then Princess Ruto had appeared, and she'd tried to attack Zelda. Navi had come to the rescue, fighting off the annoying fish girl, chasing all the way back to Zora's Domain, as Link and Zelda swam to shore and lay there, stuck, talking and laughing until the sun set.

"Link? Link, wake up!" a voice said,

"Wha….Navi? Is that…" he opened his eyes and felt a bit of guilt at finding Zelda thee instead of his lost fairy He turned over and put the pillow over his head, feeling self-conscious, with Zelda, who was literally the girl of his dreams, sitting on his bed, as he remembered kissing her. When he didn't move, she tugged on his arm.

"Hurry up and get dressed; there's something I want to show you," she said excitedly.

"But I'm not a morning person…..can't this wait? I'm tired." He tried to pull the sheet up further, but she was holding it down.

"Come on, Link……I promise, you're gonna like it."

He turned over and looked at her interestedly. "Is it the Deku Nut thing?"

"No…..but if you're not out of bed in ten seconds I'm going to drag you by your toenails," she said, and snaked her hand under the covers at the foot of the bed.

"Zelda!" he exclaimed, surprised that she would do something so bold. "Get your hand out of there, right now, or I'm telling!"

"One…..two…..three…..four….."

"Zelda, I'm not even _dressed!_" he said adamantly, "And I am _not_ getting out of bed until _you_ get out of my room!"

"Oh, Link; I know you; you'll just go back to sleep. Six…..seven….eight."

The Hero of Time was in quite a pickle. The night had been very warm so he'd slept only in his undershirt and white shorts…..the ones he wore under his knight's uniform. He couldn't let Zelda see _those_!

"Look; I'll make a deal with you. You leave, and if I'm not out in the hallway in five minutes, you can drag me out of bed and throw me in the moat, all right?"

"Deal," she said, then laughed.

******************************************************************************

After breakfast (Link had insisted he would _die_ if he didn't eat first), Zelda led him down the hallway that led to her father's study, but passed it, continuing to the end of the hall, stopping before a set of double doors with leaded glass windows that looked like Hylian Shields.

"You got me out of bed for _this_? I mean, they're pretty, but not _that _pretty. The more time I spend around girls, the more I'm sure you're all crazy!" he said, rolling his eyes.

Zelda followed suit, then said, "No, you silly boy; it's what's _inside_ that I wanted to show you." Then, in a hoity-toity voice, "I have simply paused here for dramatic effect." And with that, she opened the doors.

Link's jaw dropped at the sight before him. He'd seen books before; Saria had read stories to him when he was really little, and he'd learned to read on his own by the time he was six, but….he didn't know there could be _this_ many books in the whole world! "Wowww….." he finally managed.

"I thought you'd appreciate it. You've showed me all kinds of nifty things outside of the castle, so I thought I'd show you one _inside._ I love to come here, especially on rainy days. Impa said my mother was the same way."

"Wow," Link said again, moving toward the shelves. "So, what are they about?"

"Just about anything you can imagine. This," she said, gesturing toward a wide piece of furniture containing what appeared to be hundreds of tiny drawers," has all the information you need to find out what books you want…..but I usually just use magic."

"Magic? How?"

"I just think of what I want to read about, and the books just float to me. We'll try it. What do you want to read?"

"Hmm……" the possibilities were so many that Link couldn't possibly choose. "Why don't you pick one?"

"All right…..if you're sure….." and with that, she squeezed her eyes shut and scrunched up her face. Link's eyes grew huge as he saw a number of books come floating toward them, all of them landing softly on a nearby table.

"Zel…..that's amazing!" he said, awestruck once again. "So, what did you choose?"

"Fairies," she said, taking the top book, bound in deep red leather, and opening it to a random page. "There are a lot of fairies around Hyrule, and I thought maybe we could learn more about them…..maybe learn something about where Navi might've gone." It had been weeks since Link's fairy partner had disappeared, but he still felt a sharp pain in his chest whenever she was mentioned.

"Uh……all right. Hey, are there any books about Great Fairies?" he asked, in an attempt to change the subject. "I always wondered what they ate and stuff……and why they dress like they do…..it's even worse than the Gerudos!"

Zelda laughed, then looked at the spine of each book. "Ah….. Great Fairies of the World . Might come in handy if you ever decide to go to…..Kangarala," she said.

"Where's that?" he asked.

"Far away; you couldn't warp there, that's for sure. Besides, from what I've read, it's not the most friendly place in the world; they have creatures called Nuboks there. I've seen pictures of them; they look like ReDeads, only uglier."

"ReDeads," Link shuddered, remembering the horrors of the undead creatures, and how they'd literally sucked the life out of him.

"Yeah; or maybe like a cross between a ReDead and a Moblin," she said.

"Ugh. Even _Ganon_ would look pretty next to something like that."

They spent the remainder of the morning looking through the books Zelda had located using her magic, flipping through some, reading passages aloud from others. After lunch, Link found a gold-bound book with pictures of dragons and castles on the front. "Fairy Tales," he read, and Zelda immediately looked up, setting her own book aside.

"Oh…..that's one of my favorites!" she said. "Impa used to read that to me all the time before Ganondorf came. I'd forgotten all about it!" She moved closer to him on the richly upholstered settee and he spread the book open across their laps. They read through several stories, Zelda reading one, then Link, until he said, "Hey; these all sound a lot like _our_ story. The princess is in trouble, a man fights a monster, he rescues the princess, they all live happily ever after."

"It does…..she said," an idea popping into her head. "Link….." she said, so excited she could no longer sit and instead stood and began pacing in front of the sofa. "We should do it…..we should write our story! Then people would always remember the Hero of Time!"

"And the beautiful Princess Zelda, who dressed up like a boy and helped to fight the evil monster."

"Link….."she said, hand over her heart. "You think I'm beautiful?" A dreamy smile came to her face, and Link realized what he'd just said, sitting up as straight as if he'd been shocked by the Barinade that had haunted Lord Jabu Jabu.

"What….I….no….I mean…yes." He rubbed his neck and studied the illustration of a girl in a tower with hair that reached the ground. "Yes," he said softly. "I think you're very beautiful."

"More than Malon?" she asked.

"Yes, more than Malon. And Saria, and Nabooru, and Impa, and a _hundred_ times more than Ruto," he told her, still refusing to meet her eyes.

"Thank you, Link," she said, crouching in front of him so that her eyes were so close that he had to meet them. He remembered his dream, and he remembered that first day in the courtyard…….

"There you two are; I've been looking for you all over," Impa interrupted. "So Link, how do you like the Royal Hall of Books?"

"It's really cool," he said, flustered, afraid that the Sheikah would use her powers to see into his mind, see what he had been thinking about when she'd walked in. He'd gotten away with it the first time (he kept forgetting that it was Zelda who had kissed _him_ that day), but he wasn't sure he'd be so lucky again. "The princess wants to write a book, about our story and Ganondorf and…even you! If we wrote it…..we'd be…..famous!"

Impa and Zelda both laughed, and Link looked at them with his head cocked to the side, wondering what was so funny. "Link….you're the Hero of Time and the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, and I'm the Princess of Hyrule _and_ the Sage of Time _and _the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. We're already famous!" Zelda told him.

"Well…I guess, maybe a little. But you're more famous because you have three titles and I only have two."

"But you," she said, poking him in the ribs, "have your own fanclub. All the girls in Hyrule between two and two hundred say, 'Oh, Link; you're sooooooo handsome!'" she said, pretending to swoon, and Impa laughed while Link once again turned the color of the Goron's Ruby.

"Zelda….you're embarrassing him again. Now, come with me, princess…….it is time to practice your spells."

"But Impa….." the princess said, pretending to whine. "Do you always have to be Miss Meanie-Pants and ruin all my fun?"

The Sheikah scoffed. "It seems to me, my dear, that _all_ you do these days is have fun. You say that you want to learn the ways of the Sheikah people, and they require much practice."

"All right," Zelda sighed. "If I have to go, can Link come and watch? Please, Impa?" Remembering what Link had said the previous day, she said, "I'll be your best friend."

"Hey!" The Hero protested. "That's not fair; you already have _two_ best friends."

"So do you," Zelda retorted playfully.

"Zelda…..now. And I'm sorry Link, but you can't watch; what Zelda learns she must learn in secret."

"I'm _never_ gonna learn how to disappear with a Deku Nut, am I?" Link said grumpily.

"I'm afraid not. But cheer up, young Hero; there are no monsters to fight this time. Perhaps you and the princess can work on your book later," the Sheikah said as she ruffled Link's hatless hair.

"Hey; I just thought of a great title! We could call it "The Hero of Time: A New Hope."

"No; I said it was _our_ book, remember?" Zelda said in mock annoyance. "Besides, I'm the princess; if anyone's going to have their name in the title, it should be me."

"There she goes, playing the princess card…."

"I am…you….shut up! Come Impa; let us leave this peasant and go make things disappear."

"Hey; I'm not a bird; I'm a _Hylian_!" she heard Link exclaim as the doors swung shut behind the princess and her caretaker, and Zelda laughed all the way to her room.

***********************************************************************

After Zelda left the library, it held much less appeal for Link, so he decided to take the book of fairy tales up to his room and think about what would go in their book if they actually got around to writing it. "Hmmm….." he thought, lying on his bed, staring at a ladybug that crawled across his ceiling. "The Hero and the Princess? Boooring! Link and Zelda's Excellent Adventure? No, she'd probably want _her_ name to be first, and then it would sound dumb. Back to the Future: The Adventures of Link and Zelda? Too long. Link and the Chamber of Secrets….oh yeah, I like that one….but Zelda would hate it." He sighed, then turned his attention back to the book and began reading the story of a regular girl who makes a prince fall in love with her and gets to be a princess all because she can wear a glass shoe. _That's a good way to cut your toes off,_ Link thought. Glass shoes. Ha. He had _Hover Boots_!

Eventually he dozed off and was awakened when Zelda knocked at his door. He rolled to the edge of the bed, but before he was on his feet, she was halfway across the room.

"Zelda; you can't just come in like that. What if I was…….you know……undressed?" he said, unable to make himself say the word _naked_ in front of her.

Link, it's the middle of the day; why would you be…..undressed," she said, clearly making fun of him.

"Because……it would teach you a lesson about not coming into people's rooms without permission."

"Oh, would it, now?" she asked as she sat down next to him on the edge of the bed. "Or would it teach you a lesson about locking your door if you don't want people to come in?" She had him there, and he knew it. When he floundered, mouth opening and closing, for nearly a minute she smiled triumphantly and said, "And that, my friend, is why they call me the Sage of Wisdom."

"Ha; you're not the Sage of Wisdom; you're the Sage of Time; you have the _Triforce_ of Wisdom, genius," he said, and was rewarded with a kick in the shin.

"Ouch! Zelda, stop being such a….."

"What? Come on, Link; say it. I know you want to," she said, smirking.

"No, because…..the word hasn't been invented yet for what you are. In fact, in the future, people will say, "Stop being such a Zelda."

"Is that so? Hmmm….so what does it mean to be a Link?"

"_That_," he said, "will be the highest compliment you can pay anybody. And it shall mean," he said, opening the chest at the foot of his bed and removing his sword , then holding it clasped in both hands over his head, "I'm the king of the world!"

Zelda laughed for several minutes. "That doesn't even make any sense! Does that mean that the person who _gives _the compliment is the king of the world, or is it the one who receives it? And what if one of the people is a girl?"

"Well…..maybe it should just be one for boys," he said lamely before putting the sword back.

"Hey…..what else is in there?" she asked. Link took each item and told Zelda its name, use, and place where he'd gotten it, ending with the Light Arrow, which he'd gotten from her just before the final battle with Ganondorf.

"Ah, yes; the Light Arrow. It's so pretty. Now that you don't need it anymore, can I have it?" she asked, batting her eyelashes and sticking her lip out.

"No, it's mine." Link said laughingly, switching it to the opposite hand so she couldn't reach it.

"Link, I am the Princess of Hyrule ; I command you to give me that arrow, or…….I will torture you until you do."

"Zel, the _princess_ doesn't do the torturing; they have guards for that," he said, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe she could be so ignorant.

"Well, most princesses don't save their kingdoms, so I guess I can make an exception for this too."

"Oh yeah? So what are you going to do, _princess_? Curl my hair? Put makeup on me? Make me wear a corset?"

"Those things are torture; I remember……never mind. No, Sir Link; I, the Princess of Hyrule, am going to give you……..tickle torture!" she said, wiggling her fingers toward him, which made him laugh almost as much as if she'd actually touched him. Link, she had learned, was _extremely _ticklish. _It's a good thing Ganondorf didn't know that; we would have been in some big trouble._

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Zel," he said.

"Why? Is it because you're……a scaredy-Cucco?"

"No."

"Is it because……you're afraid of hands because of the Wallmasters?"

"No," he said, trying hard not to laugh.

"Is it because……..you don't have any ribs because Darunia crushed them all into powder when he gave you Goron hugs?"

He lost the battle and finally laughed, then said, "No, Zelda; it's because I had two bottles of milk and…… now you really need to leave, okay?"

"Oh….so much for manners I guess," she giggled, enjoying torturing him in a new and unplanned way. "Matilda will be so disappointed that all of her hours of teaching were for nothing. You didn't even say please."

"All right, how's this: _Please_ get your prissy little self out of here so I can go……."

"Fine; point taken. I want to take a bubble bath before dinner anyway……you know…..in the tub……with all that water….." she gave him a devilish grin and he wondered if covering her in honey and tying her to an anthill was too good for her…..

"Zelda!" he said desperately.

She was laughing so hard she nearly had to crawl to the door, and was still subjects to bouts of giggles even after _all_ _that water_ in the tub had been sent down the drain and he pretended to be mad as he escorted her to dinner.

****************************************************************************

Dinner that night was held outside, under the light of the full moon, to celebrate the festival of Luna, goddess of the moon. Link sat with the other knights but was soon bored with their topics of conversation, so after he finished eating, he wandered over to a nearby tree and sat down, then took out his Ocarina, playing the songs he'd learned on his journey one by one, starting with Saria's Song and ending with Zelda's Lullaby. When he opened his eyes (he always played with his eyes closed for some reason; it just felt….right) he saw that a small audience had gathered around him, Zelda among them. They made requests and he tried to accommodate them, though having grown up in Kokiri Forest, he didn't know too many Hylian songs yet. He played a song he'd heard the Gerudos sing (and was glad they hadn't asked for the words, as the song was rather bawdy) and then a song he'd learned from some frogs outside of the entrance to Zora's Domain. When Impa motioned to Zelda that it was time to go in and go to bed, Link followed her.

"I'm a little bit surprised, Zel." Link said as they walked beside the moat toward the castle's main entrance.

"About what?"

"This moon festival. I mean, it's the _moon_. It's really big. So shouldn't its _festival _be really big, too?"

"Well……I never thought about it that way before, Link."

"I mean, I'm kind of little, and they had stuff that lasted for two days when I came back, but then the moon just gets one meal outside, and not even a fancy one?"

"Well, it's actually for the moon goddess, not the moon itself, so maybe that's got something to do with it," she theorized. "Besides, the _really_ big festival will be next week: the Festival of Solstice. It's at the Gerudo's Fortress, and everyone eats and dances and watches the sun set over the desert on the longest day of the year."

"Sounds like fun, especially the eating part. Nabooru says all their food is really spicy, so I'll bet it'll be good; maybe they'll even have Cucco wings!"

Zelda nudged him with her elbow, then dropped her hand down to take his as they climbed the stairs to their rooms. "What is it with boys and food? You eat like a pig but you always seem to be hungry."

"Well, I'm a growing boy; what do you expect? Besides, you appetite's not exactly dainty; you ate, what, twenty-two marshmallows that day at the ranch?"

She groaned, as if she'd just finished eating them, and said, "No, twenty-five. Don't remind me or I _will_ be sick this time."

He stopped in front of her door and said, "Well, good night, princess. Sleep tight, or Impa's snoring will wake you up."

Zelda giggled, then nudged him again. "Impa doesn't snore, silly goose. That must be _you_."

"Hmmmph," he crossed his arms and stuck his nose in the air, in his best Mido impression. "_I_ am the Hero of Time. _I_ am too _good_ to snore."

"All right; whatever you say. She reached down to take his other hand, then pulled him into a hug. "Good night, my Hero," she said before kissing him on the forehead and slipping into her room.

He stood there, just as she had the night of his banquet, with a silly smile on his face, for a long time.

*************************************************************************

But it was not a good night. Link had become accustomed to dreaming of Navi since his return to this time, but this time his dream turned into a nightmare. It was just as it had happened that first day; he was standing in the Temple of Time and saw her flying upward toward the high window, then out into the blue sky overhead. Only this time, it was as if Link was following her; she flew up to Death Mountain and into the volcano, near the part where the Fire Temple was located. Link could feel sweat pouring off his body, and it was nearly impossible for him to breathe without the Goron Tunic. He felt himself growing weaker; he looked down and was shocked to see his skin slowly melting from the ground up, like a candle burning in reverse. Soon his feet and legs unable to move, but Navi flew further and further away. To his horror, Volvagia, the dragon he'd battled, rose from the lava, speeding toward the fairy's blue light. Link called her name to warn her, but she kept flying, so he called it again, over and over, until he had melted down to a puddle and could only watch as the dragon's jaws snapped ever closer to his friend. His mouth was still working as he shouted, "Navi!" one last time as the dragon closed its mouth around the partner for whom Link had waited for ten long, lonely years, the sound of his own scream finally rousing the Hero from troubled sleep.

Zelda had awoken minutes earlier for a drink of water and heard Link's shout from her room. She tiptoed past Impa's room and knocked softly on his door. When there was no answer, she hesitantly opened it and crossed his tiny room to the bed, where he was sitting stiffly, breathing as if he'd just run a marathon, eyes wide open and staring straight ahead. Zelda cautiously climbed up on the bed and touched his arm, causing him to jump. When he realized who it was, he wrapped his arms around her so tightly that Zelda was sure she'd have bruises around her ribs in the morning. His breathing got increasingly faster until she feared he would hyperventilate, and then he broke, sobbing into her shoulder. It terrified her to see him that way, and she wished she could somehow absorb him, to take his hurt upon herself, to absolve him of whatever was causing him to cry so hard that the mattress shook with each sob. She continued to hold him, not knowing what else to do, or what words to say to bring him comfort, until he fell asleep in her arms, still releasing a shaky breath once in awhile. The shoulder of her nightgown was soaked from his tears, and her leg was beginning to cramp from its awkward position, yet she couldn't leave him; he had helped her when she was in need; the least she could do was reciprocate. She slowly lowered him to the mattress then lay down behind him, like two spoons in a drawer, one arm around his waist while the other rubbed his back in slow circles, until she, too, fell asleep.

That was how Impa found them the next morning. After the two of them had missed breakfast (something _must_ be amiss if Link missed a meal), the Sheikah had gone in search of her young charge, and was surprised to find the two still in bed, and was even _more_ that they were in the _same_ bed. "Princess, wake up," she whispered. "You must not be seen here, and you've already overslept."

"Impa?" the girl said groggily as she sat up. When she saw how brightly the sun shone in the small window at the foot of the bed she said, "Oh, I didn't realize it was so late." She put her feet over the side of the bed, looking back at Link to make sure he was still sleeping soundly, then walked down the hall to her room, where she removed her nightgown and chose a dress she knew that Link particularly liked. "Impa, can we take a day off from training? Link needs me….I need to try and make him happy again."

The Sheikah paused while buttoning the back of the white dress and said, "Zelda, whatever do you mean?"

"He had a dream last night Impa, a bad one. I heard him scream when I got up for a drink and I went to his room. He was breathing hard and sweating and when I went over to him," her voice got very soft, "he started crying really hard. I didn't know what to do, so I just held him and rubbed his head until he went to sleep again, and then…..I couldn't leave him, Impa. I know I wasn't supposed to be in his room like that, in the middle of the night, but……." She trailed off, unable to find the words that explained how helpless she had felt while the young Hero of Time had cried himself to sleep in her arms. "Please Impa, let me just be with him today." She looked pleadingly at her nursemaid's reflection in the mirror as the woman braided the princess' golden hair and coiled it up on top of her head, pinning it before placing Zelda's headdress in its proper spot.

The Sheikah sighed; _Sometimes I wonder if she cares more for him than for herself_. "Zelda, as I have told you before, you cannot carry the world on your shoulders. If our Hero had had a bad dream, he will have to find his own meaning, and make his own peace, with it; you can be a supportive friend, but you can't fix it; you can't _make_ him be happy. You should know that, from your prophecies when Ganondorf was here. You told me of them, and I wished them to be false, for you to sleep peacefully, but my wishes did not change anything."

"I know, Impa; I just hated so much to see him like that. I love it when he smiles….but it hurts me when he cries." She spoke the last words softly and looked as though she were ready for some serious tears of her own. Impa knew how close the hero and princess had grown in their time together, and could tell by Zelda's gloomy expression that her mind would not be on her lessons if she did not know for a fact that Link was okay.

"All right, but you have to promise me you'll work extra hard tomorrow," the Sheikah said resignedly. "And as for where you were this morning, you must not do such a thing again, no matter how upset your friend gets. There are some people, right in this castle, who wish to spread gossip about matters that may appear to be questionable and regard the Royal Family. Finding the princess in bed with a boy would definitely fall into that category, no matter how innocent your intentions." The princess looked at Impa questioningly, and, wishing to keep her innocent of some of the answers, the Sheikah ended by saying, "I will not tell your father of this, but you must be more mindful of propriety in the future, for everyone's sake."

"Thank you, Impa," she said, kissing her guardian on the cheek before running downstairs to sweet talk the kitchen staff into giving her leftover sticky buns and milk.

*****************************************************************************

Link awoke half an hour later, his head throbbing and his eyes swollen. He washed his face and pulled on his Kokiri tunic, brown shorts, boots, and green hat. He'd been wearing a miniature version of the Hylian knights' uniform since being sworn in, but this morning he knew for certain that he had to go and at least _try_ to find Navi. He took two pieces of parchment from the stationery set he'd received from Ronan after being knighted and quickly scrawled two letters; one for Zelda, which he left on his bed between the pages of the fairy tale book, and one for her father, which he would place in the king's study before leaving. He quickly equipped the Hylian shield and his sword before moving slowly down the stairs to the kitchen, empty at this time of the morning. He gulped down a bottle of milk and wrapped several ham biscuits in a plain cloth napkin before tying them into a bundle and putting them into his hat. It still seemed strange that the familiar blue fairy was not hiding inside, sleeping on a soft bed of his hair, or pulling it when he didn't heed her warnings of 'hey listen' and 'watch out'.

But maybe that would change soon.

He moved to the stables and saddled Epona, hoping that Zelda wouldn't come looking for him; if she found him, it would just make it harder to leave. He'd led Epona out of the castle and was about to climb onto her back and ride off down the road when he heard footsteps behind him. He knew it was her even before he turned around, and watched as she moved slowly toward him, a piece of white paper he knew to be his letter in her hand, her expression similar to the one she'd worn as she'd talked to him after Ganondorf's defeat, before turning back time.

"You are already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?" she asked, her voice sad, her eyes devastating.

"Yes; I….have to go look for Navi. I have to try, or I'll never….I'll always wonder," he told her.

Her heart jolted in pain at his affirmation; they had just gotten to know each other, to become friends, and now he was leaving.

"Even though it was only a short time, I feel like I've known you forever," the princess said, tears gathering in her eyes.

"Me too," he replied, softly, unable to look at her.

"I'll never forget the days we spent in Hyrule……_going Bombchu bowling , riding horses out in Hyrule Field……..becoming friends like I never had before I met you_." She began crying, silent tears running down her face for several seconds before she said, hands clutched to her chest, her voice trembling, "And I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again."

Link could only nod; he knew he could not speak without bursting into tears.

Zelda fought for composure, forcing herself to calm down so that she could speak. "Until that day comes, please……take this." She removed the Ocarina of Time, the same instrument he'd used on his journey as an adult, the same one she'd used to turn back time, and held it out to him.

The sight of the glowing blue ocarina, the one she'd entrusted to him as she fled the castle, was Link's undoing. His face crumpled and he moved toward her, wrapping his arms around her as they cried together, their hearts breaking at the thought of being separated so soon after they'd finally been able to be together. Several minutes later, when Zelda recovered the ability to speak she told him, sniffling, "I am praying….I am praying that your journey be a safe one." She kissed him on his left temple, but he was too upset to enjoy the feel of her lips on her skin; in fact, it only made him cry harder.

"Zel…..I don't want to do this; I don't want to leave you," he said brokenly, between sobs. "Not now, when things are so good……not ever. But I…..have to," he said, repeating what he'd said earlier, as much for himself as for her, then, after several minutes had passed, again; softer. "I have to." Somehow the words sunk deep into his soul and the thought of Navi suddenly ceased to make him feel sad; now she was his resolve, his reason for leaving the girl he cared about more than anything in the world. After all his fairy partner had done for him on their journey together, the least he could do was to make sure she was okay. Zelda was strong; he knew that from before and he knew it now. She would be okay until he got back. Impa would take care of her, and their friends would give her comfort. He would do this for Navi, but he was determined that, just as the princess had said, he would return someday, to Hyrule, to her. He reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes, for she, too, seemed to understand and had stopped crying. The time for tears was over; he had another mission and he had to focus on it, just as he'd done in his quest to save Hyrule.

"Link?" Zelda's voice was almost back to normal, save a slight stuffiness, as if she were recovering from a cold.

"Hmmm?" he responded, looking up into her eyes, which were slightly puffy but free of tears.

"If something should happen to you, remember this song……This reminds me of us," she told him, then raised the ocarina to her lips and played the Song of Time. She handed it to him and he replicated the notes she'd played, as he'd done when he was first learning it. He knew, though, that as long as he lived, he would never forget the song that meant so much, stood for so much between the two of them. Of course, this wasn't the _first_ time he'd learned a song from her……

"So…..where's your harp…..Shiek?" he asked, and she covered her mouth with her hand, shaking silently, eyes closed. For a minute he thought she was crying again, but then a very un-princesslike snort escaped and he, too, began laughing, much as they had that first day back in the courtyard, nearly three months earlier. When they were calm again, she pulled him close again, hugging him as if to save it for the days ahead when he would no longer be by her side. She kissed him again, on each cheek, causing both of them to blush, then released him.

"I guess I should get going; I'm not sure _where_ I'm going, but I thought I'd start in the forest, talk to the Great Deku Tree and see if there's anywhere in the Lost Woods Navi might've gone, somewhere I don't know about. I've been meaning to do that for awhile, but every time I'm in the forest I forget. If I hurry I can make some good progress before dark." He paused, taking her hands in his. "I don't know when I'll see you again, and I may not be able to let you know where I am, but I promise I'll come back as soon as I can. To you, my princess. " He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently before saying, "Goodbye, Zelda," thinking, _I love you_. He placed his foot in the stirrup and climbed onto Epona's back.

As he slapped the reins softly, the horse began moving. Zelda watched him, thinking, _goodbye Link, I love you." _She did not realize that she had spoken the words aloud, though her voice had barely been above a whisper.

"Zel?" He turned his head at the sound. "Did you say something?"

She nodded, said, in a voice loud enough that he could understand, "The Goddess of Time is protecting you. If you play the Song of Time, she will aid you." It _wasn't_ what she'd said the first time, but she knew it in her heart to be just as true.

**Wow; right at twenty-seven pages. This was like giving birth; it was long, and drawn out, but now that it's all over, I have something to show for my hours and hours of labor (though I think I'd ask to be shot if I was in labor for two weeks straight). So, suggestions and fanperson squeals are welcome; just click the little review button. It won't hurt.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, humans….Hylians….Hobbits…..others. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed chapters one and two. This is actually a re-edited version of Chapter 3; I decided to start at the end and go backward because this part is still so fresh in my mind. My post-Chapter 2 resolution is to not write nearly-thirty page chapters anymore; I think some things got lost in because of the sheer amount of content. With school and work starting back up, I also don't have time to write as much, and I hope to update every week or two (can't guarantee it, though). I'll admit this one seems a little awkward……hard to do ZeLink when Link is out of the kingdom and Zel is kinda mopey. This one's sort of transitional, I guess you could say…..but things will get better in 4, so stick with me. Remember, this is my first full-length story and it's a lot harder than I anticipated, but I fully intend to see it through (and there are even some sequel ideas churning around.....but that's probably at least a year away;).**

**Oh, I don't own Zelda. If I did, I would have enough money to open a theme park called HyruleLand. You guys would all come…….you know you would!**

**Making Up for Lost Time**

**Ten-Summer**

The King of Hyrule was surprised, when he entered his study, to find a letter addressed to him in a childish scrawl on the stationary of the Hylian Knights. Curious, he opened the folded piece of parchment and read:

Your Majesty:

I am leaving Hyrule to go look for my fairy Navi, who helped me on my quest to save the kingdom and then flew away. I don't know how long I'll be gone, or where I'll go. I don't want to leave, but I feel like I have to, and I understand if you give my job to someone else. I hope I will find Navi soon and then I will come back to Hyrule. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I'm leaving in person, but I thought you would try to talk me out of it, and I have to try and look for Navi even if I don't find her.

Your humble servant,

Sir Link, the Hero of Time

P.S.-I wrote the princess a letter too, so she knows I'm leaving. If you give my job to someone else, make sure it's to someone who will be nice to her, or she won't listen to them and might get hurt or something.

The king frowned at the letter before him. He had hoped that upon hiring Link for the position of the princess' protector, that the position would stay filled for a long while. However, he had come to know the young man well enough to determine that the search for this fairy must be very important to him if he had decided to leave the princess. The king knew that the young Hero was absolutely devoted to his daughter, and the fact that he'd mentioned finding a replacement that the princess would like in order to maintain her safety spoke volumes to the king about the character of his youngest knight. He sighed wearily, and summoned a page to take a message to Ronan; Hero or no Hero, the princess must not be unsupervised for long.

*****************************************************************************************

After Link had taken his leave, Princess Zelda had watched him leave the castle grounds, then waited to see if he might appear again as he left Castle Town or rode into Hyrule Field, longing for one last glimpse of the boy who had become such an integral part of her world in the few months he'd been at the castle that she could not fathom what life would be like without his presence. She stood, watching, for over an hour, long enough that she would have spotted him had it been possible, and then, sighing sadly, she had the stable boy saddle her own horse and took off for Lon Lon Ranch.

"Hey Zel; what are you doing here?" Malon asked as her friend rode under the archway between the barn and ranch house. "I thought you and Link were…..hey, where's Link?"

Zelda dismounted, then walked over to the redhead, who was petting a butterscotch-colored filly and stopped, then took a deep breath and said, "Mal…..Link's gone. He left this morning to go search for Navi. I…..I don't know when he'll be back."

"What? Oh, so he's gone to the forest, then. It could be a couple of hours; he'll probably have lunch with Saria, and…"

"No, you don't understand……he's _gone._ He's probably gonna leave Hyrule all together."

The ranch girl turned toward her friend, surprise in her eyes. "Really? But where would he go?"

"I don't know, but he said he has to look for her, and he doesn't think she's anywhere around here," The princess leaned her back against the edge of the fence, staring off into the distance.

"Well, why'd he just decide to look for her all of a sudden? Why didn't he do that back when she first left?"

"He thought it would be okay, but then he had this nightmare last night and said he had to leave. He promised me he'll be back, but….." The princess had promised herself that the tears she'd shed this morning would be her last regarding the Hero's leaving, and she repeated this like a mantra in an attempt to keep this promise.

"Honey, he's the Hero of Time." Malon said, reaching out to put her arm around Zelda's shoulders. "If he can take on Ganon and win, he can take on _anything_," Malon said reassuringly, as much for her own peace of mind as for that of the princess.

"I know, but.....he's not…..immortal or anything," Zelda whispered, admitting her biggest fear.

"No, but he's……" She really didn't know how to respond. " If he promised you he'll be back, he will." Malon spoke with conviction; just saying those words made her feel better, but she saw that Zelda still looked really sad. She had an idea, though, of how she might help her friend to feel better. "He'll do _anything_ for you, and not just because it's his job." She smiled slyly," I think he _likes_ you."

Zelda pulled back from her friend's embrace and said agitatedly, "Of course he does. Link's a nice guy. He likes pretty much everyone but Ruto and some forest boy named Mido." She tried, without success, to will away the blush working its way up her face.

"Aha! I _knew_ it!" Malon said triumphantly. "You like him _too_! Awwww……" And to Zelda's horror, she began chanting, "Link and Zelda sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I….."

"Shut up," Zelda said between clenched teeth. "Somebody might hear you," she said, looking around nervously.

"Who? The horses? Oh yeah, you've really gotta watch what you say around Biscuit here, or she'll tell everyone in Hyrule all your secrets," she said, stroking the horse's nose.

"Malon, you're crazy," Zelda said, laughing. "Only _you_ would come up with something like that."

"And only _you_, my dear, hold the key that unlocks the heart of the Hero of Time," Malon said dramatically, pleased with the return of her friend's smile, and enjoying it even _more_ when Zelda blushed again at this statement. "And for your information, _I_ am _completely_ jealous." She sighed dreamily. "He's sooo cute. You're a lucky girl, Zellie. Every girl in Hyrule would give a million Rupees to be in your shoes. As if being the princess wasn't already enough," she said, elbowing her friend gently.

"Oh, Mal, I don't think _every_……."

"Oh, you'd be surprised. I mean, we _know_ Ruto has a thing for him……but I kind of think Saria might, too."

"Saria?!" Zelda exclaimed. "But she's……like his mother…..or maybe more like his sister……I don't know, but I don't think she _likes_ him, likes him." She thought for a moment, then said, "On the other hand, the conversation _did_ always seem to lead back to Link when I talked to her while we were in the Sacred Realm…….but, it kind of did that with everyone else, too." She giggled, "I mean, I don't think _Darunia_ has a crush on Link, do you?"

Malon laughed at her friend's statement, then said with a smirk, "Just watch Saria next time she's around him. Her feathers get just as ruffled as the rest of us silly chickens."

Zelda laughed again, "I think you've been spending too much time around all these animals. First horses and now chickens!"

"Yeah; I know. Now that Ganondork's out of the picture, my dad's been talking about hiring on some more workers so he'll be able to do more things to make the ranch grow, and have more help when I have to go back to school (she made a face; just the _thought_ of fifth grade Ancient Hylian History made her want to throw up), and _I_ can better serve my kingdom in my role as best friend to the Princess of Hyrule," she said with a giggle, linking her arm through Zelda's as they left the paddock and headed toward the barn.

"Come on; I'll help you finish your chores, and then after lunch maybe we can go swimming at the castle." Zelda told her. "Our pool is really pretty; it has the Triforce on the bottom in teeny-tiny little gold tiles, and the rest of it is made out of blue ones. Aaaaand…….there's a rumor going around that the cook is planning to make ice cream this afternoon," the princess said, eyes sparkling. "Her strawberry swirl is to _die_ for!"

"Wow; swimming in an actual pool _and_ ice cream? I think I'm gonna like this being friends with the princess thing even more than I thought," Malon said, and the two girls giggled as they entered the barn. Once inside the Princess of Hyrule had her first experience with mucking out stalls, and she smiled the entire time as she daydreamed of what might happen if Malon's insight regarding Link turned out to be true.

******************************************************************************************

Link, however, was _not_ smiling at that moment. In fact, he was far from it. His toes were numb, his legs were blue, and his head was pounding from that stupid Goron baby's crying. He wished for the Megaton Hammer, so he could whack some sense into the kid, but knew that wouldn't really accomplish anything. Instead, he had to head back out into the snow (Snow! In the middle of summer!) and try to find Darmani, the ancient Goron leader who was the baby's father, and who might know something about how to get the kid to shut up. He hoped.

Following the Great Deku Tree's suggestion, Link had decided to explore an uncharted area of the Lost Woods in hopes of finding Navi. He had ridden for nearly two days, until he was sure he was far beyond Hyrule's borders. After eating the last biscuit, he'd dozed off in the saddle, unaware when Epona wandered into a thick fog. When the horse's slow walk decreased to a stop, he'd raised his head, taking in his surroundings. _Something's not right here_, he'd thought. He'd had that feeling hundreds of times on his quest to save Hyrule, usually just before Navi said, 'Hey, listen' or 'Watch out' to alert him to an enemy's presence.

Just then, two strange fairies, one a deep purplish-red, one yellow, flew in front of Epona, startling her, causing her to throw Link from her back.

And then everything had gone black.

When he'd regained consciousness, Link had seen a creature that looked like one of the Skull Kids from the Lost Woods standing before him; only it was wearing a strange, creepy mask. It was holding something blue; the Ocarina of Time! The Skull Kid had quickly put the instrument behind his back, and when Link had lunged forward, trying to retrieve the precious object, the creature had jumped onto Epona's back, and the horse had taken off at a run. Link had grabbed onto the stirrups of his saddle and had been drug deeper and deeper into the mysterious forest.

Things had only gone downhill from there.

After falling down a cliff, being turned into a Deku Scrub by the Skull Kid, and making the unpleasant acquaintance of the yellow fairy, named Tatl, his companion, Link had arrived in a strange place called Clock Town. It was the epicenter of the kingdom of Termina, and after talking to the Happy Mask Salesman (the one who had a shop in the Market of Hyrule Castle Town) Link had learned that the moon was going to fall from the sky. Three days later, he'd battled the Skull Kid upon the town's clock tower, just hours before the disgruntled chunk of rock was to have fallen. As a Deku Scrub, his only weapon was blowing disgusting green bubbles from his snout, and he'd used one to knock the ocarina from the Skull Kid's hand. Time was running short; the moon was getting closer and closer, and then he'd had a flashback, remembering his final conversation with Zelda and how she'd told him of the powers held by the Song of Time.

Upon playing the familiar tune, time had…..turned back to the dawn of the first day! He'd spoken with the mask salesman again and had learned the Song of Healing, which, miraculously, ended the Skull Kid's curse, so Link was no longer a Deku Scrub. He had his sword and shield back, and he still had the ability to morph into the Scrub temporarily by wearing a mask of the creature's face. He'd thought of leaving then, of abandoning his search for Navi and going back home, but the plight of the Terminian people sparked the Hero inside him. He'd discovered it was necessary to explore the four areas surrounding Clock Town just past Termina Field: a swamp, a mountain (his current location), and ocean, and a canyon, and must defeat temples in each location in order to break the curse of Majora's Mask. He must also constantly play the Song of Time in order to speed up, slow down, or turn back time, and help all sorts of people with problems, who were scattered throughout Termina and listed in his Bomber's Notebook (he'd never thought he would end up being a gang member) until his mission was accomplished.

Saving Hyrule had been a piece of cake, compared to this.

Link finally found Darmani, nearly dead, and learned a song called the Goron's Lullaby (he _really_ hoped it worked on that baby as well as Zelda's Lullaby worked on the princess), then played the Song of Healing, releasing the fearless leader's weary soul from his body and earning Link a Goron mask that allowed him to change into Darmani's form, just as he'd taken the form of the Deku Scrub before. He suddenly missed Darunia something awful, wishing for one of the Fire Sage's bone-crushing hugs, but knowing he would not get one until he had stopped the Skull Kid and prevented the moon from falling from the sky.

*******************************************************************************************

Two weeks later, Zelda and her friends were walking through the Lost Woods, heading toward Kokiri Forest after visiting Darunia, Darla, and their new baby, once again named after the Hero of Time. The princess' new guardian, a knight named Hal, followed at a discreet distance, both to give the princess and her friends privacy and to better enjoy the forest without the constant chatter of little girls as they headed to Saria's house for lunch. Zelda was fascinated by the prospect of seeing the place in which Link had spent the first ten years of his life, and she wondered if Saria would point out his house, and if she might be able to go inside later. Her thoughts were interrupted when the emerald-haired Sage spoke.

"Isn't little Link so cute?" Saria cooed.

"Is he as cute as big Link was when _he_ was a baby?"Malon asked, catching Zelda's eye and motioning toward the Kokiri girl, whose cheeks became rosy at the mention of the Hero's name. 'Told you' she mouthed to the princess, who laughed silently behind her hand; she was greatly amused that all four of them had a crush on the same boy. _At least we've got good taste_, Zelda thought.

"Oh…..well, um….." Saria hated to say anything that might ever _possibly_ hurt anyone's feelings, so she said, "He was cute in a _different_ way."

"Meaning that he wasn't a Goron and isn't going to outweigh all four of us by the time he's a teenager," Malon said wryly.

"Well…..yes," Saria said, then couldn't stop herself from gushing, "Oh, he was such a _beautiful_ baby. He had those big blue eyes, and his hair was so pale and fine you could barely tell he had any at all. And he was so _sweet_!" she said, her voice reaching a decibel level only heard by dogs on the last word. "He never cried unless he was hungry or needed to be changed, and he was always looking around and smiling, like he wanted to see everything in the forest all at once." The pixielike Sage sighed in happy remembrance as they exited the hollow log and stepped into Kokiri Forest.

"Wow," Malon said, looking over the village below. "Everything's so…….green."

Saria giggled, "Yes, I guess it is. Even our clothes…..and my hair," she said, patting her head. "Of course, Mido would get all specific about it and say that there was also brown and blue and pink and all the other colors, the smarty pants," she said, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Mido," Zelda muttered. "From what Link's said about him, he sounds like a real jerk. I mean, who could be mean to _Link_? He's like the nicest guy in the world."

"What makes this _Mido_ think he has the right to be a meanie?" Ruto asked irritably. She and Link may not be engaged anymore, but that didn't mean she didn't still care about him. "Is he the _king_ or something?"

"He says he's the Boss of the Kokiri…..but that's a title he made up himself. It's not like the Great Deku Tree told him that or anything," Saria replied, trying to be neutral, but she, too, disapproved of Mido's treatment of Link.

"What's the Great Deku Tree?" Malon asked. "Is that the tree Link told me about that can _talk_?" she asked excitedly. If there really _was_ a talking tree, and Link hadn't just been teasing her, this forest was going to be _much_ cooler than she'd originally thought!

"Come on……I'll show you. He's right over here," Saria said, grabbing the redhead's arm and practically dragging her across the forest, Zelda and Ruto following behind, laughing their heads off at the forest girl's enthusiasm and the helpless look on Malon's face.

Hal arrived just in time to see the girls running off toward what looked like a path with steep walls on the other side. Since the forest seemed to have nothing but kids in it, he sat down next to the pond to rest; the princess could call him if she needed him. That was the agreement they'd made when he'd been hired to take over Link's position, and so far it had worked out well.

When the girls arrived at the head of the path leading to the Great Deku Tree, they encountered the Kokiri Boss himself, who spread his arms and legs as wide as possible to block their entrance. Ruto, however, wasn't having it. "Get out of our way, twerp," she commanded.

In his squawky voice, Mido asked, "_I _am the great Mido, _Boss_ of the Kokiri. And _who,_ might I ask, are _you_? You look like a fish."

"That's because I am a fish, stupid!" Ruto shouted at him before adding in a regal voice, "_I_, for your information, am _Princess_ Ruto of the Zoras, and this," she pulled Zelda to her side, "is _Princess_ Zelda of Hyrule. Both of _us_ outrank _you_, so watch your tone, _forest boy._"

"That's right," Zelda said, playing the 'princess card,' as Link would've said, "And _you'd_ better watch what you say about the Hero of Time; he's a knight now, and I can order _soldiers_ to come get you."

"Sss….soldiers?" Mido asked nervously.

"Yeah; there's one right over there," Zelda said, motioning toward Hal, who was throwing pebbles into the pond to aggravate the fish. "All I have to do is scream and he'll come over here and take you back to the _dungeon_!"

"Ddd…dungeon," Mido squeaked, his eyes as big as Deku nuts.

"Even better, forget soldiers…..send Nabooru," Malon said with a smirk.

"And who are _you_?" Mido asked, trying to sound intimidating again, though they could all see his knees shaking. "And _what_ is a Nabooru?"

"_I_ am Malon, of Lon Lon Ranch; you know, where the _cow_ came from?" Saria had told them that Mido was _terrified_ of the huge, mooing creature that now lived in a pen the Kokiri had built in the Lost Woods. "And Nabooru is not a _what_; she's a _who_. Actually, she's a _Gerudo_. Gerudos are warrior women from the desert who….."

" Ask questions first and kick…..no wait, they kick a…." Saria paused mid-phrase when she saw the shocked looks the other three girls were giving her. "What is it?" she asked.

"Saria….you can't _say_ that word. It's kinda bad," Malon said under her breath.

"Oh, sorry; I didn't know. I just always thought it was really cool when she said that." Thinking about it, they all did, though they all (now) knew better than to say it.

"So…..Zelda said, standing over the forest boy and giving him her most menacing look, "are you gonna move, or are we gonna have to do it ourselves? There are four of us……and only one of you," she said, poking him in the chest on the final word."

He was staring at her with absolute fear on his face; his eyes looked like they might pop out of his head. "Uh…..sure……right this way, ma'am," he said, stepping aside.

She got closer, until she was right in his face. "I'm a _princess_; you better call me _Your Highness_, Kokiri Weenie."

*******************************************************************************************

As Link rode Epona over the last barrier on the sandy path leading to the Great Bay Coast, he pulled on the reins to slow the horse to a stop, then dismounted.

"It's good to have you back, girl," he said , putting his arms around the horse's neck as she put her long head over his shoulder; their own special version of a hug. Then he turned and simply stared.

The first time Link had seen Lake Hylia, he'd thought it to be impossible that there could possibly be _anything_ bigger, water-wise, in the entire world. Now, looking out over the ocean, he knew this to be untrue. The greenish-blue water stretched as far as the eye could see, and the warm, sandy beach was a sharp contrast to the snow he'd trudged through on the way to the Temple at Snowhead while up in the mountains. This, with the exception of a few Leevers, was paradise. _Zelda_ _would love this_, he thought. He tried not to think of home much because it made him sad, but sometimes, he just couldn't help it. This was one of them. _Maybe someday, I can bring her back here when Termina is back to normal……if that ever happens._

A squawking sound suddenly pulled him out of his reverie, and looking out over the water, Link was shocked to see what appeared to be a Zora floating in the waves, surrounded by a flock of seagulls. Link ran toward the water's edge, wading in and then diving into the current as he swam toward the fish-man. He continued to find it strange that so many people in Termina bore such a striking resemblance to people back home in Hyrule. In fact, Romani and Cremia, who lived at the ranch where he'd finally found Epona (after blasting a huge boulder with the granddaddy of all bombs, the Powder Keg) looked just like Malon! Romani looked like Malon did now, at ten, while Cremia looked like she had at seventeen. The younger sister also had a sweet yet flirtatious way about her that reminded him of her Hylian doppelganger and made Link miss his friends back home even more.

As he swam closer, Link saw that the floating creature was indeed a Zora and, like Darmani, he looked to be near death. Somehow he found the strength to pull the man to shore, and after playing the Song of Healing, was left with a mask that let him assume the form of the Zora who, according to his epitaph, was the guitarist for a band called the Indigo-Gos. Considering that he would be spending a lot of time in the water, since he knew that the third temple was located somewhere around his current location, Link knew the mask would come in handy, just as rolling around as Darmani had been helpful in the mountains. He transformed and, before swimming toward a strange structure, which appeared to be floating out in the middle of the water, decided to take out his ocarina to see what happened. As a Deku Scrub, his instrument had taken the form of a set of pipes, and as a Goron, he'd had drums. But this……this was by far the best. "Whoa…..cool," he said, in a voice that sounded as if he were talking underwater, as he played a few notes on the guitar. This thing had _potential!_

After speaking with a scientist (who looked just like the one at the Lakeside Laboratory at Lake Hylia), Link swam (really fast. With an electric shield!) to the floor of the shallow waters and into what looked like a giant fish's mouth, and entered Zora Hall. Inside there was a giant shell that he soon learned was used as a stage, and around the perimeter on one side was a series of rooms, each belonging to a member of the Indigo-Gos. There was a King Zora look-alike who played drums, a lanky guy who had what might have been hair who played bass, and the strangest-looking Zora that Link had ever seen who played a large pianolike instrument.

All of them seemed to be concerned about their singer, Lulu, who had been so traumatized when her eggs were stolen by pirates that she'd lost her voice. The Carnival of Time in Clock Town was to be the group's breakout performance, and if Lulu couldn't sing, they might miss their big chance to shine. Link knew that he now had to go the pirate's fortress in search of the eggs, but first he thought he'd try to find this Lulu and see if maybe he could get her to talk; sometimes would just start talking to him, even if they were complete strangers. He guessed maybe they thought he looked like he could be trusted and wouldn't tell anyone their secrets because he was just a kid. He followed a path leading to an upper level and found an opening to outside. Exiting the Zora domicile, he found himself to be on a grassy island, with an owl statue he could hit to establish a warp point (the Terminian version of Farore's Wind, in a way) and…..a girl who looked almost identical to the adult version of Princess Ruto!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Link screamed, diving into the water and swimming back to shore as fast as his fins would take him.

******************************************************************************

Summer was winding down and the annual Latara Winds were blowing through Hyrule, bringing torrential rains which flooded Zora's River and kept the princess inside the castle and away from her friends. Even if she used a Deku nut to transport herself to the ranch, forest, or Zora's Domain, she could only see one friend at a time and they, too, were malcontent, quickly growing bored with the limited activities available indoors. The last time she'd visited Malon, they'd gotten into a disagreement and the princess had left in a bout of angry tears, vowing she was never speaking to the ranch girl again, as she'd accused Zelda of cheating at checkers (okay….so maybe it was true…but she had to find some way to keep things interesting, and Malon didn't have to be so _mean_ about it!)

That had been two weeks ago.

Zelda missed Link so much it was almost more than she could tolerate, and each day seemed as if it would never end. She wished she could see him, or even hear his voice, just for a few seconds, and had decided to ask Impa if she might help her contact the Hero through telepathy.

"No, Zelda; you are not yet ready," the Sheikah replied when asked the following afternoon. She was in Zelda's bedroom, and they had been working on casting a ring of fire when the princess had brought up the question she'd been pondering for over a week.

"But Impa…….it's been over two months since Link left, and I really miss him, and I'm _really, really, bored_!" Zelda said in a voice that was very near a whine.

"No." Her voice was firm. " I know you miss him, and you've made much progress with your magic even since this time started, but telepathy is very complex, as it involves not only your _own_ mind, but that of the person with whom you are trying to make contact. Even blood Sheikah must train for many years before they can attempt such a feat."

The princess had been sitting at the small writing desk in the corner of her sitting room and abruptly arose and stomped to the adjoining bedroom, throwing herself on the bed and bursting into tears, crying loudly and not attempting to hide it.

"Zelda…..what has come over you?" the Sheikah asked as she entered the bedchamber. She was taken aback at this very un-Zeldalike behavior; the princess had never been one to use tears in an attempt to get her way.

"You don't understand what it's like. One of my best friends is mad at me and the other is gone, maybe far away, and I don't know where he is, or if he's hungry or sick or scared……or even still alive," the princess replied, burying her face in a pillow.

Impa sighed, realizing that Zelda was not crying because she wanted to coerce the Sheikah into teaching her how to use telepathy; she simply missed her friend, and was worried about him. "I know much more about it than you might think, little one. For I have been in a similar situation myself." She closed her eyes, remembering; asking the Goddesses to give her the strength to share her story without losing her own composure. "Several years before you were born, before the war began, I married a Sheikah man named Rado. We met when I was thirteen and he was nearly fifteen, and what started out as friendship turned into something much deeper." Zelda had calmed considerably and raised her tearstained face to look at her nursemaid questioningly.

"Impa….you've been here since my mother died. How come you didn't tell me before?"

" Zelda…….the Sheikah are very skilled at hiding their emotions, but that does not mean we don't feel just like everyone else. I have not told you of this because it is still _very_ difficult to speak of; I am only telling you now in hopes that it will bring you some solace in your time of uncertainty." The princess rolled onto her back, looking into Impa's red eyes and wiping her own with the backs of her hands. "Shall I continue?" the Sheikah inquired, and the princess nodded, her full attention focused on the woman before her.

"When the war began, he went with a unit of Sheikah and Hylians, both of whom wished for the kingdom to be united, to Gerudo Valley. Almost immediately, he and a number of others were captured by the Gerudos, and were held at their fortress for nearly a year. Those who escaped were killed as soon as they got back to Hyrule Field, where all the races save the Kokiri were engaged in a bloody battle. Therefore, I spent many months wondering of his whereabouts and safety, just as you have done with Link." Impa pressed her temples firmly to quell the headache that was beginning to develop due to the tension that had enveloped her body. " I prayed that the Goddesses return him to me…… but it was not to be," She sighed, concentrating on releasing the knot of despair that had gathered in her chest as she exhaled. "By the time the war ended and prisoners were released, he was so weak and ill that he did not survive the journey back to Hyrule. But even when they returned his body to me at the castle, I was grateful that I _knew_ where he was; for the uncertainty of those long months had been even worse than the knowledge that he was dead."

The Sheikah's voice had become raspy, and she cleared her throat before saying, "Zelda, I know that you and Link are very close, and I know that this is very difficult for you……..but I admit that I am unsure that even _my _powers could reach him if he is far outside the kingdom." The princess had ceased crying, but her face fell at this pronouncement. "However, if you would like, I will speak with Rauru, and see if there is something of which he knows that might be used to find out….." She did not finish, because she did not know what the Sage of Light might know, or not know, and didn't want to raise the princess' hopes too much.

"Yes; please. I think you're right; anything is better than knowing nothing," Zelda said as she sat up and rose from the bed, then threw her arms around her guardian. "I'm sorry, Impa; about your husband……and about the other Sheikahs, the ones that died when the village was attacked."

The woman's heart was struck with a pain so sharp she knew it could not be contained for much longer. "I… will go speak to Rauru immediately," she said, before turning quickly and leaving the room. Once in the hallway, she transported herself to the Kakariko graveyard, where she stood between two stones, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. "I miss you both," she whispered, hoping that somehow her husband and infant son could hear her words. Then, as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone, reappearing in the Sacred Realm moments later.

********************************************************************************************

"Princess…….are you ready?"

"Yes, Rauru." Two days later, the princess stood with the Sage of Light in the Sacred Realm, her palms damp and her stomach aflutter. When Impa had spoken to him at Zelda's request, he had told her that perhaps, through the power of the Sages and the Triforce of Wisdom, that they might be able to make some sort of contact with Link through the Hero's own fragment of the Golden Triangle. Now the seven of them were assembled in the Chamber of Sages and were waiting nervously for the old man to begin.

"You know, Zelda, that this is not a sure thing. We know not of what we may learn; it could be very grim…..or we could fail to make contact at all." The princess nodded, her expression somber. "But as it has been three months since the Hero's departure this very day, and we have had no word of him, I believe we must try; if not to gain our own peace of mind, then to…..prepare for what must be done if the Triforce of Courage is no longer……."

" Hey, watch it, man; you're scaring the kids!" Nabooru said, motioning toward Saria and Ruto, both of whom looked terrified and on the verge of tears. _And if you really wanna get technical about it, you're kinda scaring me too, Pops_, the Gerudo thought. Of course she would rather die than admit this to anyone, but it was the truth.

"I do not wish to frighten you; any of you. However, I feel that it is my responsibility to make each of you aware of all possibilities which we may encounter as we attempt to contact the Hero. Now; let us begin by joining hands and focusing our energies on the Hero. It can be a memory, or you may visualize him in your mind's eye, or simply focus on reaching out to him." The seven Sages joined hands and did as Rauru had dictated, each concentrating on Link in his or her own way.

The Sage of Light imagined the glowing Triforce of Courage, as it had appeared on Link's hand before battling Ganondorf.

Saria reminisced about the day she'd been summoned by the Great Deku Tree and entrusted with the baby who would someday grow up to become the Hero of Time.

Darunia thought of the courageous boy for whom his own son had been named, and the man he had been and would become again.

Ruto recalled watching Link battle a giant jellyfish inside Lord Jabu-Jabu on his quest for the Spiritual Stones.

Impa reflected on the many hours of joy which the boy from the forest had brought to Zelda's life, and how much more lively the castle had become in his presence.

Nabooru smiled as she remembered how handsome Link had been at seventeen.

And last, but certainly not least, Zelda remembered the day she'd first met Link in the Castle Courtyard, and how the moment she'd laid eyes on the boy in green, her heart had ceased to be her own.

They stood in silence, letting their minds drift in thoughts and prayers regarding the Hero and bearer of the Triforce of Courage. Each allowed his or her mind to travel through the Sacred Realm and beyond the borders of Hyrule. They remained almost as if entranced for nearly an hour, fighting the disappointment that threatened their concentration as time passed with no results. Finally, the Sage of Light said, "Perhaps we should attempt this again at a later….."

"Wait!" Zelda said, her voice barely above a whisper. On top of her right hand, her skin began to warm, the heat increasing as she re-focused her attention on the Hero. "I can…..feel him. I can feel him!"

"Is he okay?" Saria asked anxiously.

"He's still alive…..and he's strong," the princess said, eyes shut tightly as she concentrated on keeping the connection between the two fragments with all her energy. "He's far away, but……he's alive," she repeated, as tears of joy and gratitude toward the Goddesses began rolling down her cheeks."

"Princess, can you tell us anything else? Are you able to determine anything of his location?" Rauru asked.

"No……but he's all right, and that's all that matters for now."

*********************************************************************************************

Link waited anxiously behind a large rock at the edge of Ikana Canyon. Next to him was Kafei, a man who had been cursed by Majora's Mask (the strange mask that the Skull Kid had been wearing) and turned into a child. Kafei was engaged to Anju, the woman who worked at the Stock Pot Inn in Clock Town, and the child-man refused to meet his fiancée before he retrieved his stolen wedding mask. As one of the tasks listed in his Bomber's Notebook, Link was supposed to help the couple reunite…..so here he was, hiding and waiting for Sakon the thief to open his hideout so the mask could be retrieved and Link could move one step closer to going home.

He had no idea how long it had been since he left Hyrule; was almost afraid to know the truth. He knew it hadn't been years, but it had been at least a couple of months. Sometimes it seemed like forever. If his guess was correct, it would soon be autumn back home, unless the entire world was stuck in the insanity of living the same three days over and over. He was tired even after sleeping for hours because his mind was never at rest; it was almost as if he was living his quest even in sleep, and it left him sluggish and made it difficult to concentrate, or, at times like this, when he was so still, to stay awake.

"So, do all Terminians wear masks at their weddings?" Link asked Kafei, ending his words with a yawn. "That seems like a good way to get confused. I mean, you could end up getting married to someone you really hated if you couldn't see their face." He thought of Ruto and shuddered at that idea; thank goodness that wasn't a tradition in Hyrule!

"No," Kafei chuckled. "You don't wear them the whole time; it's part of the ceremony for you to exchange masks just like you exchange rings."

"Oh…..well, that makes sense, I guess. I don't really know much about weddings; I've never been to one before."

"Really? Don't people get married where you come from?" the boy with blue hair asked with surprise.

"Yeah, but I had an…..unusual childhood; I never knew anyone who had a wedding," Link replied.

Kafei looked at the Hylian boy questioningly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well…..you told me a secret and I kept it. If I tell you one….will you do the same?"

"Sure. What is it? Got an extra toe or something?" the blue-haired boy joked.

"No……that wouldn't be a secret anyway; it'd be really cool!" Link shook his head, turning serious again. "You might not believe it, but….I used to be big just like you were."

"Really?" Kafei looked at Link in shock. "Were you cursed, too?"

"No. It's a really long story; you sure you want to hear it?"

"Why not?"

Link told the Terminian about growing up in Kokiri Forest, and leaving to meet the princess and find the Spiritual Stones, and how he'd slept for seven years until he'd grown enough to fight the temple monsters and Ganondorf. "So when I woke up, my mind was still ten, but my body was seventeen."

"Weird," Kafei commented. "So….did you like being older?"

"I could do more things; use more weapons, and I was stronger. But that body was really…..strange. After I defeated Ganondorf and these seven Sages locked him away in the Sacred Realm, Princess Zelda turned back time. I didn't want her to at first, but now I'm kind of glad; I get to actually be awake for the next seven years," Link said with a smile.

"So, what happened after time was turned back?" Kafei was amazed at what he was hearing, but somehow, he knew the boy in green was telling the truth.

"I put the Master Sword back and my fairy, Navi flew away. Then I went to the castle and the princess remembered me, so…..now I'm her bodyguard and a knight!" Link beamed for a few moments, then looked down at his feet. "Well, I _was_ her bodyguard. I kind of left in a hurry……to search for Navi, and I ended up here. I know it's been a couple of months since I left Hyrule, and I'm sure the king has replaced me by now. I left him a letter before I left, and told him that was okay, since I didn't know how long it might take to look for Navi. I know it was kind of irresponsible….but I was really worried and I knew I had to look for her. Now that I've almost finished what I have to do here, I'm starting to think about going home, even though I haven't found her, and I don't know if I'll still be welcome at the castle or not."

"Hmmm…..that _is_ a dilemma. Maybe I can get my father to write a letter telling about all the good things you've done in Termina; he's the mayor, you know. I mean, that's not much compared to a king……but maybe we can say you worked to establish good relations between Hyrule and Termina. That's got to earn you some points somehow."

"Hey; it's worth a try." Link replied, then said with a sigh, "If it doesn't work I guess I can always get a job at Lon Lon Ranch; the rancher's daughter is my friend, and I really like horses."

"Work? You're ten years old; shouldn't you be climbing trees or something?"

"I _do_ climb trees….and you know what?" Link said, smiling mischievously, "So does the princess. Besides, I like my job. I get paid to have fun and just…..follow her around."

"Which you don't mind at _all_, do you?" Kafei teased slyly, amused when color began creeping up the Hylian boy's face. "Yep; I knew it. You like her. But does she _know_? More importantly, does she like you back?"

Link rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I don't know. I don't know about any……can we just talk about something else?"

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. I mean, Anju and I were sort of already together when we were your age."

"So you've known her since you were kids? And now you're getting _married_?" Link looked at the boy beside him incredulously. "I didn't know people did that. I thought you just met somebody when you got older."

"Well, for some people it works that way, but for us…..I think I knew the first time I met her that she was _it_; that there was no other girl I could be happy with. We got to be really good friends, and then it was like we were so close that friendship wasn't enough anymore."

"How old were you when you knew that?" Link said, curiosity piqued. Not that _he_ was considering anything along those lines…..it was just…..interesting; that was all.

"Twelve or so. It's hard when you're that young and you know you're meant to be together. People don't believe you; they say you don't even know what love is; that it's just a childish crush; that you'll grow up and find others. But we knew. And we fought for it. And in a way, I guess we'll continue to fight for it for the rest of our lives." Kafei opened his mouth to say something else, but just then Tatl, who had been sleeping in Link's hat just as Navi used to, flew out and hovered above a man running down the path toward them. Sakon, the thief who had stolen Kafei's Sun Mask, had arrived at his hideout, and it was time for the two boys to take action to get it back.

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Later, back at the inn, Link waited with Anju for her fiancée to return from Ikana Canyon (since he couldn't play the Song of Soaring like Link, he just had to walk back to town). The moon shook the ground beneath their feet and time was short before it would supposedly crash into the clock tower, destroying the town and everything (or everyone) in it. As he waited, his palms sweated and his stomach churned nervously; it was nearly four a.m. and the boy with long blue hair had yet to arrive. Link was sure the moon would fall before Kafei got there, but just before four thirty, the blue-haired child entered Anju's room. The couple, one a young woman, one the man who appeared to be Link's age, embraced, then exchanged masks. They were oblivious to the forest boy's presence until the masks had merged to form the Couple's Mask (somehow Link didn't think this happened to everyone). After receiving the mask, Anju told Link he should flee town; that she and Kafei would stay. Even if the moon fell, they would face their fate together.

Link quickly played the Song of Time, then re-checked into the inn after returning to the first day. He went upstairs to the Knife Chamber and collapsed into sleep. For the first time since he'd arrived in Termina, he didn't dream of collecting masks or finding the Boss Key or all the stuff in his Bomber's Notebook.

He simply dreamed of Zelda. He was pretty sure she was the one he'd want to be with if the moon ever fell in Hyrule.

**Okay……raise your hand if you're ready for Link to come back from Termina? *raises hand* A ZeLink story without ZeLink is like The Office when Pam was in NY instead of with Jim in Scranton (sorry…I love that show; I'm a big Jam fan, too). Thus…..our Hero shall return next chapter!!! Hmm….as for this one, we learned some back story on Impa (thinking of doing a fic on her since she's one of my favorite supporting characters) and **_**Saria**_** curses! (I lol'd when writing that, especially her tone……remember, she's not threatening Mido; she's just passing along what she's heard Nabooru say). Let me know what you think (such as if the shorter length will work; I've got about half the number of pages here as in Ch.2) and suggestions for future chapters are still welcome, especially for the rest of years ten and eleven. **

**Also, not sure exactly how it works (I've only been writing a couple of months; not sure if I can edit the text or if I have to re-submit each chapter), but I am going to start doing a few minor edits to past stories and chapters…..nothing that changes the plot significantly, just clearing up a few points and getting rid of wayward quotes (lol….thanks Wavebreeze:). So if you start getting alerts on stuff I've posted previously, that's why.**

**Oh, and shameless plug alert: My DA name is PrissyKissy; check out my story Death By Chocolate, submitted for the ATA/TCE Fanclub's Kill Navarre Contest (and big thanks to LeighEm for introducing me to these wonderful stories after I finished chapter 1 of this…..that's one reason why it took Chapter 2 so long to get up; I read both of them in their entirety in about four days! Yay for Christmas break, no?) If you want more details, PM me******


	4. Chapter 4

**It's time for Chapter 4, in which Link returns and…..okay, other things happen too, but that's the big one, with some rather surprising outcomes. This one focuses mostly on Link and Zelda because this is a turning point for them……and that's all I'm saying about it *laughs mysteriously* Oh, and thanks to all who read and review my stuff; you rock!**

**I'm dedicating this chapter to Leigh Em, who reviewed the last few chapters at a time I was really struggling and inspired me to push through (and also introduced me to two of the best Zelda-based stories I've ever read!) Anyhoo, thanks girl; I look forward to seeing more of you here and on DA.**

**LOZ belongs to Nintendo. If it were mine, I would own Link…..and….. eh, I'd still let Zelda have him; they're like PB&J Oh, and the Skull Kid and Mask Salesman's dialogue and the setting for the first scene comes from the ending of Majora's Mask. **

**Making Up For Lost Time**

**Ten-Autumn**

Through the haze of unconsciousness, Link heard a familiar neighing at a very close range and opened his eyes to see Epona's head almost directly overhead. As he rose to a sitting position, he saw the Skull Kid standing to his right, and Tatl and Tael hovered nearby. The forest creature no longer wore Majora's Mask and was looking up at the four giants who had prevented the moon from falling. They were huge! Link also thought they were rather freaky-looking; almost like long legs attached only to torso, which had a face where the chest should be, and green hair that looked like branches covered with leaves. After speaking briefly with the Skull Kid, the four giants headed back in the directions from which they had come: the Southern Swamp, Northern Mountains, Western Ocean, and Eastern Canyon.

The Skull Kid, after watching the giants disappear, turned to Link and said, "Did you….did you save me?"

"Yeah. That mask cursed you, but the giants held back the moon and I fought the monster that was really causing all the problems," Link told him.

He briefly turned away from Link, looking toward the edges of Termina Field, where the giants had departed. "I though they didn't want to be friends with me. But…..they hadn't forgotten about me."

_Kinda hard when you're causing chaos all over the place_, Link thought to himself, startled when the Skull Kid turned and faced him. _I hope he can't read minds or anything,_ Link thought, feeling a bit guilty about his internal comment.

The Skull Kid, however, was oblivious to what had been going on inside the young Hero's head. "Friends are a nice thing to have, heh heh," he said with a giggle.

"Yeah; I have friends back home and now I have some more here," Link replied.

"Could you be my friend too?" the Skull Kid asked.

"Okay…..I guess. I mean, I'm sort of friends with Ruto because she's friends with my friends…..and even after all this, I still like you better than her," the Hero answered. The Skull Kid moved toward Link, who was expecting a hug and stepped back a bit when he found himself being sniffed."

"Eh hee hee," the Skull Kid giggled again, jiggling his body with a sound that reminded Link vaguely of the Stalchild population that used to haunt Hyrule Field at night. "You have the same smell as the fairy kid who taught me that song in the woods……"

"Hey; you're _that_ Skull Kid?" Link asked in surprise. In his quest to save Hyrule, he had played Saria's Song for this kid as part of a side quest to earn the Mask of Truth. He'd come from Kokiri Forest, just like Link!

"Hey….I know. Let's do something!" The Skull Kid said excitedly.

"Uh…..well……" Link was a bit hesitant about this. _The last time this guy 'did something' the moon ended up nearly crushing an entire town_. Thankfully, the Happy Mask Salesman, whose presence Link had not noticed before, spoke up as he looked down at Majora's Mask in his hands. _Oh, please don't let him transform into a monster, too!_ Link thought.

"Oh……so the evil has left the mask after all."

"Thank goodness for that," Link replied, sighing in relief when the mask didn't do anything weird.

"Well…..now I finally have it back." He turned to face Link and bowed thankfully. "Since I am in the midst of my travel, I must bid you farewell." He walked between Link and the Skull Kid, who appeared to be shaking for some reason, then turned and addressed Link again. "Shouldn't you be returning home as well?"

"Yeah; I'm leaving in just a few minutes," the Hero of Time answered. "I just wanted to say a few goodbyes first," he said, indicating the Skull Kid and the two fairies.

"Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow."

_That's the story of my life_, Link thought, his face troubled as he remembered all the partings in his life: losing his parents when he was just a baby, leaving Saria and his forest friends when he went off to save Hyrule, Navi leaving after his mission was accomplished, and Zelda, on that day in the castle courtyard when he was sure his heart was being ripped out of his chest.

The man saw the sadness in the young boy's eyes and said, "However, that parting need not last forever." Link's frown deepened as he thought about this. Some of these partings _were_ forever, and there was nothing he could do to change it.

The mask salesman interrupted his train of thought with words that made Link wonder if he could read minds. "Whether a parting be forever or merely a short time….that is up to you." He bowed again, and Link realized the truth in this statement. While he would never see his parents again, and Navi was probably gone for good too (though he somehow felt she was still alive somewhere), he still had so many people he cared about in Hyrule and now in Termina. And one of them he had made a promise to that he intended to keep right now. He was going home: to Hyrule, to the castle, to Zelda.

With another bow, the traveling salesman spoke once again. "With that, please excuse me," he said, then turned and walked toward Clock Town. When he had nearly reached the entrance, he turned once again and said, "But my, you sure have managed to make quite a number of people happy. The masks you have are filled with happiness. This is a good happiness."

_Yeah, I guess it is_, Link thought as he watched the man…..disappear into thin air?! _Wow; is he part Sheikah or something? Nah...he didn't use a Deku nut_. He continued staring at the spot where the Happy Mask Salesman had disappeared until a familiar voice interrupted his reverie.

"Well, both of us have gotten what we were after," Tatl said.

"Yep. You're back with your brother, and I saved Clock Town from the angry moon," Link told her with a satisfied smile.

"So this is where you and I part ways, isn't it?"

"Uh huh. I've got to get back to Hyrule; I think I've been gone for like…..three or four months now. I miss it," Link told her.

"You know, it was kind of fun," Tatl said wistfully.

Link replied in kind. "Yeah….it was. I met some really cool people and got all these masks as souvenirs," He chuckled, "I wonder what Mido will think of the one that looks like a cow? He's _soooo_ scared of that one that lives in the forest. Guess I'll find out soon enough, huh?" he said, and was surprised to feel a pang of sadness; he was actually going to miss this smarty-pants ball of yellow light!

"Well…..it's almost time for the carnival to begin," Tatl told him. She, too, seemed sadder than she wanted to let on.

"Yeah…..I guess it is," Link said with a sigh.

"So why don't you just leave and go about your business? The rest of us have a carnival to go to," she said haughtily, though Link could hear tears in her voice.

"I'd better hurry if I'm gonna get that letter from the mayor; I think the wedding's gonna start soon," Link told her, then said, "Guess I'll see you around." He climbed onto Epona's back and rode toward the entrance to Clock Town. He rushed to the mayor's office and picked up the letter Kafei had promised, then, declining an invitation to stay for the wedding, exited the town for the last time and once again mounted his horse. He fought the growing sadness by thinking not of what he was leaving, but what he was returning to.

"Yah!" Link said, and Epona started off. They were going home at last! Link would never forget Termina, and he would never forget Navi, the reason he'd left Hyrule in the first place, but it was time to return, hopefully to his old job and his room at the castle. And to the girl whose face, once again, had helped him to press on through the times when it seemed his mission would never be complete.

*************************************************************************************

Zelda awoke with a start, realizing she'd overslept. She was going to help Malon collect autumn leaves for a school project, and the princess had promised to help her…..and to meet her in half an hour! The girls had reconciled their friendship as soon as the late-summer rains had ended, and Zelda didn't want to cause anymore problems by being late. She quickly put on a simple dress of cranberry red and her brown riding boots, wishing she could wear pants instead, and grabbed her cloak before rushing down the stairs toward the stables. The sound of a commotion at the opposite end of the hall slowed her pace, and the mention of Link's name stopped her dead.

"Yes, Your Majesty; we found him in Hyrule Field, on his horse," a voice said, and Zelda quickly did an about-face and ran toward it. She found her father conversing with two knights just outside the closed door to the castle's infirmary, their faces somber.

"Well, he will be……Zelda," the king said as his daughter arrived, breathlessly, at his side.

"Father," she panted before bobbing a curtsy. "Link…..he's back?" she asked hopefully, pushing the worry of what their expressions meant from her mind. _He's okay; he's got to be. I would know if he wasn't…..wouldn't I?_

"Yes, he has returned. However, he was unconscious when he was found, and still is. The Royal Physician is with him and will….."

The princess interrupted, her voice desperate. "I want to see him. I want to know that he's……." she reached for the door handle and her father blocked her advance with his own arm.

"No, Zelda," the king said gently, seeing the growing panic in his daughter's eyes. "You must wait. Faro and Regas were unable to detect any external injuries, but we don't know what is going on _inside_ of Link. Stephan will let us know as soon as he determines what is wrong. You are supposed to meet Malon this morning, am I right? Perhaps you should just go on, and……."

"No! I won't leave him! Please, let me……"the princess said to her father, her tone pleading, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"I'm sorry, but you cannot," the king said firmly, and Zelda began to cry. She retreated to a nearby bench and sat, pulling her knees up to her chest and burying her face in her arms, frustrated that after so many months, Link was so close, and yet she was still being kept from him.

The king looked at her shaking form guiltily, yet he did not go to her. He did not know what could be done to help the softly sobbing girl before him, and thus walked on down the hall toward his study, awaiting word of the Hero's condition.

*************************************************************************************

Link opened his eyes at the sound of the infirmary's door opening and the sound of Stephan inviting someone in. He'd been expecting Zara with his lunch and was surprised to see Zelda standing at the edge of the room, staring at him as though she couldn't believe he was there. He sat up and raised his hand in a wave, and she slowly crossed the room and sat on a chair beside his bed. She'd waited months for this moment, but now that it was here, she wasn't sure what to say; what to do.

"Hello, Link," she said hesitantly.

"Hi Zelda," he answered, looking at his lap and blushing furiously. She'd…..grown while he'd been away, and it somehow made her seem like a different person. "How have you been?" he asked, briefly glancing up into her eyes.

"All right, I guess; I've……..Link, look at me," she said softly. He did, and she said, "I missed you," in a voice that was even softer.

"I missed you, too," he told her, and reached for her hand. She took it, squeezing it tightly, and they looked silently into each other's eyes until the door opened once again, bringing a female healer named Zara with a tray containing a bowl of soup, some bread, and a glass of milk for the Hero's lunch. When she had unfolded the legs and placed it over Link's lap, Zelda said, "Would you like for me to come back later, so you can eat?"

"You can stay if you want," he told her before taking a big gulp of milk. He _hated_ this. They were best friends; this wasn't supposed to be awkward. They were supposed to hug and laugh and tease, not just….sit here, like strangers. It had _never_ been like this before, not even when they'd first met.

"Zel, is something wrong?" he asked, reverting to the familiar nickname in hopes of regaining their former camaraderie.

"No," she said, refusing to meet _his_ eyes this time. There was something inside her mixed with the relief at seeing him again. Something foreign……something she felt guilty about though she wasn't sure what it was. "It's just…..I don' t know…..I guess I've waited so long to see you again that it almost doesn't seem real now that you're back."

"Come here," he said, and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly, burying his head in her neck and inhaling the clean scent of her hair. She sighed heavily, then returned his embrace. "I'm sorry," he told her quietly.

She pulled back, staring at him questioningly. "Link; for what? There's nothing to be……" And then it hit her. The strange feeling she'd had before: it was anger. She was angry with him for leaving. For leaving _her!_ She knew it was selfish and stupid, but she couldn't help how she felt.

"Did you find Navi?" she asked, biting back the sudden bitterness. She couldn't be mad at _Link!_ He was her Hero; he had done so much for Hyrule and for her personally. How could she begrudge him going off to search for his fairy after all he'd given for his kingdom; all he'd sacrificed?

"No. But I found another kingdom," he said, "and I saved it from being crushed by the moon."

"Really?"

"Uh huh. It's called Termina. It's through the Lost Woods, in a part I'd never been to before. The Great Deku Tree told me I might find Navi there, but instead….I met the Skull Kid, and he had a mask that was evil. He turned me into a Deku Scrub!"

"No way!" Zelda's anger dissipated slightly, and was replaced by fascination. "How did you get back to being you again?"

Link told her all about playing the Song of Time and the endless dungeon battles, mask collecting, and people helping he'd done in the four months he'd been gone, though he'd lived the same three days over and over. "And it was so weird; there were a lot of people there who looked just like people in Hyrule! There were three brothers who looked like Ingo, and a Zora singer who looked like a grown-up Ruto, and two sisters, Cremia and Romani, who looked like Malon!"

The princess' anger returned in a flash, growing quickly so that she could no longer contain it. "So you've spent the past three months not just battling monsters, but 'helping' _girls_, while I waited here, wondering if you were dead or alive, scared to death I'd never see you again?" she asked him, rising from the chair and standing with her hands on her hips.

Link looked at her in astonishment; he'd never seen her angry like this before, and she'd certainly never been angry with _him_. "Zelda, I help people who need it; that's what Heroes do, and……."

"I don't want to hear it," she cut him off, her face hardened. "You left here to find Navi, and when you didn't, you should've…."

"Come back and let the moon crush an entire town, so that the people who lived there lost their homes and their stuff just like the people who used to live in Castle Town after Ganondorf took over?" Link's own anger had been sparked, and his words conveyed this as he spoke. "You think I _wanted_ to be gone; to be changed into a little wooden creature; live the same three days over and over? You think I'd rather be off who knows how far from my friends and my home, fighting monsters and trying to save people _again_, instead of being here where I can almost be a regular kid?" His voice softened and he looked into her eyes. "You think, after all the time we spent apart before, after I fought so hard to save the kingdom, and prayed to the Goddesses with all my heart that when you turned back time that we'd still remember, that I would want to be anywhere else in the entire world, with anyone else but you? Because if you do, you don't know me at all." He had been expecting her to be happy about his return; instead she was jealous and angry. It was a big disappointment, and not only made _him_ angry, it also hurt. A lot. "Princess, I think you need to leave now," he said formally, trying to ignore the lump that was developing in his throat."

Just as fast as it had grown and spilled over, Zelda's anger dissipated, leaving her ashamed and embarrassed about her quick reaction. "Link…..I'm sorry. I shouldn't have….."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore; just……go," he replied, looking everywhere in the room but at her.

"Link….please, we can……"

"Get out _now_! I _said_ I don't want to talk about it, and that 's what I mean!" he said forcefully, though his voice was hoarse with held-back emotion. Zelda stared at him for five long seconds, feeling her guilt grow tenfold as he lay down and turned away from her, covering his head with the sheet. Then she quietly left, head looking down at her feet as she walked down the hall toward the stairway.

**********************************************************************************

"Whoa, princess; what's eating you?" Nabooru said as she barely avoided colliding with the troubled younger girl.

Zelda let out a huffy sigh. "I did something really stupid, and now I feel really bad about it."

"Eh…..I did the same thing last time I came into Castle Town; there was this…..never mind," the Gerudo cut off, remembering that even though Zelda had been seventeen once, there were still some things in the adult world of which she had no knowledge. "So what did you do that's so awful, and more importantly, who'd you do it to?"

"Link," the princess answered, looking down at her feet once more, battling tears.

"Ah, yeah; I heard he was back." Noticing the princess' expression, she asked," What happened, kiddo; you two have a fight or something?"

Zelda covered her hand with her mouth and closed her eyes, her body shaking as the tears she'd been so desperately trying to hold back came out in a rush. The Gerudo looked at the princess in bewilderment; the girls of the desert were taught to keep their emotions in check at all times from an early age. Thus, seeing this girl of ten and a half weep so openly really threw Nabooru for a loop. "Hey, come on; don't do that," she said to her fellow Sage in a voice that came out a little more brusquely than she'd intended. She hesitantly patted the princess on the shoulder, and Zelda threw her arms around the older girl, burying her face in the shoulder of the white halter top the desert leader wore.

"I've ruined everything! He's never gonna forgive me for saying what I did, and he's never going to speak to me again! He'll probably leave and go away and I'll never see him again and……oh, Nabooru, I think I would _die_ if he did!" the princess sobbed as her companion raised her arms to envelop her in a full hug. This was _really_ uncomfortable, but apparently this is what Hylians did when someone was upset. When the little girl had calmed somewhat, the Gerudo led her up the stairs and into the sitting room of the princess' suite, plopping down unceremoniously on a small couch as the princess graciously perched on an ivory armchair.

"Okay, so tell me what happened, Princess. Apparently you people like to talk about it when you have problems instead of beat the sh…tuffing," she quickly amended, "out of each other. Nabooru shrugged. "Oh well; when in Hyrule do as the Hylians do, so that means you're gonna spill it so I can try to help you or something. That's how this thing works, am I right?"

Zelda nodded, then said, "I went to see Link about an hour ago, and it was…..weird. I was glad he was back, but…. I was mad at him, too."

"Mad? Why were you mad?" Nabooru asked incredulously.

Zelda felt the heat of shame course through her body, and knew her face had to be bright red. "Because he left me here while he went to look for Navi."

"So you've been mad at him this whole time? Because he couldn't find his fairy and he left _you_? That's just…."_ You may be the princess, but you're kind of a drama queen._

"I know; stupid. I just realized today that I was mad; I really did miss him, and he _needed_ to go, and I know that, but...... what kind of friend am I to act that way?" She looked down at her folded hands and said, "And that's not even the worse part."

"Oh?" the Gerudo said, cocking an eyebrow up skeptically.

"He started telling me about Termina; that's where he went, and……." Zelda told her everything that Link had said, ending with, "…..and then he started telling me about how the people there look like people here, and there are these two sisters who look like Malon, and I got even madder and yelled at him because I said he was off flirting while I sat at home and worried at him……even though I believe him when he said he really was in Termina, keeping the moon from falling." The princess couldn't _believe_ she'd acted that way, and with _Link_, of all people.

Nabooru's mouth hung open in surprise. "You got all green-eyed monster and flipped out?" The Gerudo shook her head sadly. "I really had hope for you Princess; that you wouldn't be like other Hylian girls, but I see it's already too late for that."

"What are you talking about; too late for _what_?" the princess asked, absolutely clueless to that which the older girl was referring.

"I mean about what you're doing with Link. Zelda, he fought _for_ you, and battled Ganondorf _with_ you, but he's not _yours_. You can't lock him away in a box and keep him from helping people just because they're girls and you're threatened by them because………."

"I do…..I'm not _threatened_ by _anyone_!" the princess exclaimed.

"Oh….Princess, how you delude yourself…….but not me. I see through your bul….loney. As soon as the subject of other girls came up, you erupted like the Death Mountain volcano." She smiled, almost as if to herself, then said, "Oh, my friend, you have got it so bad…..but this ain't the way to deal with it"

"What are you talking about?" Zelda inquired, though the color rising in her cheeks told Nabooru she knew _exactly_ how that statement had been intended.

"I mean, you've got some feelings for our Hero that go beyond friendship, and don't _even _try to lie to me and tell me you don't." the Gerudo said with a smirk.

"I…..how….you. Yes! All right, I like him; are you happy now?" Zelda admitted in frustration, her blush deepening even further.

"Eh…..I already knew it, from before. It's old news," she said with a shrug. "And by the way, it's mutual, in case you didn't already know." The princess was _positive _her head was going to explode; her face was absolutely on fire!

"Are you……but he…..we're not….." Zelda sputtered, not sure what to say.

"Ahhh….so nothing's official yet; that's good, seeing as you're only ten and you don't trust him any further than you can throw him….wouldn't last long anyway."

"I _do_! I trusted him with my _kingdom_ when I threw him the Ocarina of Time, and I trusted him with my life, too!" the princess insisted, shocked that Nabooru would make such an accusation.

"But you don't trust him with your heart, and without that, you're doomed, chicky. Hey; I'm getting pretty good at this talking stuff!" The Gerudo said in wonderment, then, "Sorry; back on track now. What I mean is, you've gotta get past this jealousy. _And_, the girl he was talking about when you got so mad is one who looks like your _best friend_. That's not good. Does this mean you don't trust _her_, too?"

"She's beautiful," Zelda said, tears welling up again.

"So? I mean, he's the freaking Hero of Time! Link's always gonna help people, and some of them are gonna be female." Nabooru told her with an impatient sigh. "You've got some issues, and I can't help you with them; it's something you've gotta figure out yourself. Besides, I've had enough girly drama stuff for today……I've gotta get back to the desert, where the _real_ women live before I get the urge to wear fluffy dresses and read romance novels. Ugh." The Gerudo shuddered. "I guess the next thing you need to talk to Link about this."

"But he won't talk to me! I apologized as soon as I realized I was wrong, but he just told me to leave!" A tear made its way down her cheek and Nabooru rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, Princess; if anyone's got a right to be upset about this, it's _him_, not you! Besides, he's a guy; they don't like licking their wounds in front of other people. You're gonna have to give him time, and then you're going to have to apologize." She shook her head sadly once again; here was this girl, who was a _princess_ and a _Sage_, and her main concern was whether some boy that wasn't even her boyfriend was _cheating_ on her? What was the world coming to?

*************************************************************************************

Link was sure he'd never been so miserable in his entire life. This was worse than when Mido called him names, because Zelda was, or so he'd thought, his friend. After she'd finally left, he'd lain there, hearing her words over and over again, and he'd grown increasingly angry with her. How could she _say_ those things; how could she even _think_ them? She'd cut him deeply, but he chose to focus on the anger in an attempt to downplay everything else; if she was going to treat him like that, make accusations that were _ludicrous_ (he'd heard that word in Termina and used it whenever possible, even inside his head), he didn't want to be her friend _anyway_……right?

As soon as Stephan, the Royal Physician, gave Link a quick examination a few hours after Zelda left, and knew for sure that the boy before him needed nothing more than rest and food to recover his full strength, he released the young Hero from the infirmary. Link decided to go see the king immediately. If he was going to be leaving the castle, he wanted to do it before dark, since the wise woman Catrine had predicted the first frost of the season to happen that night.

The Hero went up to his room, finding everything just as it had been before he left, as well as the stuff he'd brought back from Termina on the floor beside his bed. He quickly changed out of his pajamas and into a clean pale green shirt and a pair of black pants and black shoes, (he thought it would be assuming a lot to wear his knight's uniform) then dug his letter from Mayor Kafei and a bottle of Chateau Romani out of his bag.

He found the king in his study, where the monarch often spent the hours between lunch and dinner. Link could feel butterflies in his stomach as he hesitantly knocked on the ornately carved door.

The door opened, and James, the king's personal bodyguard, answered. "Oh, so it's _you_," he said disdainfully. He'd been serving as the king's protector for twenty-six years, and the thought of this _child_ being put in charge of the princess' safety, and then abandoning his post without just cause, gave the man before Link an air of intimidating superiority. _Hero my foot!_

"James, who is it?" the king inquired.

"It is Link," he said, purposefully leaving off the _Sir_.

"Send him in," the king said in a voice whose tone Link couldn't interpret.

The boy nervously entered the room, kneeling just inside the doorway. "Hello, Your Majesty," he said, forcing himself to look straight ahead as he rose to his feet. He could feel James' eyes boring into the back of his head, and could sense the triumph on the man's face that stemmed from Link's insecurity with this situation.

"So the Hero has returned," the king stated, in the same indecipherable voice. Was he angry? Disappointed? Link had no way of knowing, and stared at his feet, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes, Your Majesty. And……I'm sorry. For leaving like I did, without talking to you and Ronan first." Link hated to say those words, remembering the trouble that had started when he'd said them to the king's daughter just a few hours earlier.

"Did you find her?" the king inquired, throwing off Link's expectations, causing him to look up into the man's brown eyes. But they, too, were unreadable.

"What…..I mean……." Link was at a loss for words. What was the king talking about?

"Your fairy. Did you find her?"

"Oh….no, Your Majesty. Sir." Link said, "But to be honest, I really didn't spend much time looking for her……I found another kingdom that needed saving, and that's what I've been doing the past......how long have I been gone anyway?"

"Three, maybe closer to four, months," the king replied. Link was shocked; had it really been _that_ long? But counting it in his head, he found this to be true; he'd left in mid-June and it was now the second week in October. "Now, tell me more about this kingdom……was it Bolegyn?"

"No; Termina. It's through the Lost Woods; to the…….northwest, I think. I fell asleep on the way there, so I'm not exactly sure."

"Termina…….hmmm……I've never actually been there; it's close to Latara, right?"

"I don't know; before all this Ganondorf stuff, I'd never even been out of Kokiri Forest, Your Majesty," Link said with a shrug. "But here; this might help you to figure out where it is," he said, and handed the king the sealed letter from Mayor Dotour. The king opened it and began reading silently, then refolded it when he'd finished, looking up into Link's eyes.

"This is very commendable for anyone, let alone a ten-year-old boy," the king said quietly and calmly. "Not only did you prevent this Clock Town from being crushed by the moon, but you have established friendly relations with a kingdom which even _I_ have never had any dealings. I'm very proud of you, Sir Link." Link could sense some of the air leaving the overinflated James in a barely-perceptible _hiss_

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Link said with a bow. "And here…..I brought you this. It's called Chateau Romani. It's a big deal in Termina; like fancy wine, only it's milk." He held out the bottle and the king rose from his desk and took a glass from a wooden cabinet on the left wall. He then removed the stopper from the bottle and poured a bit of the milk, which magically stayed at a constantly chilly temperature, swirling it in the glass and inhaling the aroma before taking a drink.

"This…..is amazing! It's the best beverage I've ever tasted!" the monarch exclaimed. "So rich, with sweet undertones and a smooth finish. I shall have to pay this Termina, and Mayor Dotour, a visit, and further establish diplomacy between it and Hyrule." He sat silently for several heartbeats, then said, "And I will need an ambassador to serve there as well; I'll speak with Hal immediately."

"Hal? But he's…….I mean….." A sense of elation filled Link, though he was still ticked off at how Zelda had treated him.

"His wife, Savana, is expecting their first child. Her family is from Latara, which is indeed close to Termina; just a few miles down the coast from Great Bay, according to the map Mayor Dotour enclosed in his letter. Hal hasn't said anything, but I've heard that Savana wants to be closer to her family after the baby is born, and this will allow him to accommodate her and still serve Hyrule, which is _his_ home kingdom."

"But if Hal leaves, who will take care of Princess Zelda?" Link asked, not daring to hope…….

"You," the king said, chuckling at the pleasure that appeared on the boy's face at his words. "I meant it before, when I first met with you, that you're the best man for the job. Your fighting skills surpass those of many men, yet you possess the energy and tenacity needed to keep up with my daughter. In addition, you care for her; you are her friend, and your opinion carries a lot of weight, which I know has helped to avert more than one potential disaster…..including one involving a bag of Deku nuts and some Cuccos?" he said humorously.

"Oh.....well, uh…..I…..hey, how'd you hear about that?" Link said in surprise.

"Impa heard about it from someone in Kakariko, and she told me."

"Okay….but what about how I left like that; without telling anyone? Aren't you worried I'll do that again?"

The king rose from his chair, and, to Link's astonishment, crossed around his desk and placed his hand on the shoulder of the boy from the forest. "No. Because you brought it up; I didn't, and that says a lot about your character. It also tells me that you have learned much in the time you've been away, and that you realize that you should've spoken with me in person. I honestly do not think something like this will come up again, do you?"

"No, sir, Your Majesty," Link said, looking up into the king's face. "Navi's gone, and I don't even know if she _wants_ me to find her. Now that it's over, my place is here; with the princess. You can be sure that I will take my duty to her very seriously," he said, speaking in a formal voice that made the king suppress a laugh, while James slunk from the room, unnoticed, steaming with anger. How, after everything that had happened, could His Majesty so easily put his trust in a boy that didn't even shave yet……..again!

"Then you may return to your former post tomorrow morning, and I will speak with Hal before dinner."

Link beamed at the king and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty; you won't regret this, I promise!" before leaving the room in a joyous sprint. He had to tell Zelda right awa……halfway down the hall, he stopped, remembering their fight, and his elation fled. He had his job back, and a place to stay, but what would _she_ think about that? What was he going to _do_? He slowly made his way up the stairs and to his room, where he finished unpacking all the masks and equipment he'd collected on his journey before falling into a deep sleep that lasted nearly fourteen hours.

*************************************************************************************

When Link didn't show up for dinner, Zelda was dually relieved and concerned. She'd been dreading having to eat in the same room as he, yet she knew he was still weak and needed to eat, and worried when the meal ended and he'd neither shown up nor sent word to the kitchen to ask that a tray be sent to his room (she'd ventured into the vast preparation area and inquired about this herself, surprising the staff greatly). She climbed the stairs and knocked lightly at his door, then slowly opened it when there was no answer.

"Princess, what are you doing?" Impa inquired in a fierce whisper, causing Zelda to nearly jump out of her skin.

"I was worried about Link, so I thought I'd……"

"He's resting; you need to leave him alone," the Sheikah said more calmly.

"But he needs to eat something; Stephan said he…….."

"He'll be fine; if he wakes up hungry, he's a big boy; he knows where the kitchen is, and if not, he's not going to starve to death before tomorrow morning. Now come with me; you have three tests tomorrow and you need to study." Zelda's tutor, Dwight, was a man who had no qualms with challenging the princess' mind and worked her hard for five hours a day five days a week, and he was especially brutal when it came to math. Zelda was sure this was because she hated it so much; the Triforce of Wisdom allowed her to learn things easily, but it couldn't make her like them. She gave one last look into the darkened room and closed the door before following Impa next door to go over her notes on the types of angles before going to bed.

**********************************************************************************

The next morning, Link opened his door to go down to breakfast to find Zelda waiting for him in the hall. He brushed by her and headed for the stairs without so much as a 'hello.'

"Link, wait!" the princess said, running to catch up to her again-protector. "Please; listen to me," she said, grabbing onto his arm. He turned and looked at her, and she could see in his eyes just how much she'd hurt him with her baseless accusations. "I'm _so_ sorry. Sometimes….well, a lot of times, actually, I say things without thinking about them first. I'm trying to do better, but………"

He pulled away and began walking again, and she easily matched her pace to his; she was a good five inches taller than he was after her summer growth spurt. "Link, I don't want it to be like this with us. I want us to be friends again, but we have to….."

"There's nothing to talk about. I'm in charge of your safety again since Hal's leaving, but that's it." He sighed wearily; even after all the sleep he'd gotten last night, he was still exhausted, and he was so hungry he felt sick. "Now if you'll excuse me, Princess, I skipped dinner last night and I need to eat; doctor's orders." There was nothing she could say to that, so she followed him down the remainder of the stairs and sat, sulkily silent, by herself as she picked at her bacon and waffles.

**********************************************************************************

"Link? May I speak with you?" Impa asked through the door of the Hero's bedroom. He'd been giving Zelda the silent treatment for nearly three weeks, and the Sheikah thought that perhaps that she could get to the bottom of whatever had caused this little spat in the first place.

Link was wearing his Zora mask, strumming his guitar halfheartedly, and quickly removed it so that he was in his Hylian form again. "Come on in," he said, placing the Ocarina of Time back in its pouch (when he'd tried to return it to the king, the man had told him to hold onto it; that he trusted Link to keep it safe).

"We haven't had much of a chance to talk since you returned from your latest adventure. How are you, young Hero?"

"Fine, and you?" he said, his voice flat and lifeless.

"Well, I'm placing myself in the middle of a combat zone, but it's for a good cause."

Link looked at her strangely. "Impa, what do you mean?"

The Sheikah sighed. "This……discord, between you and Princess Zelda has gone on long enough. She tells me you won't speak with her about your problems and refuse to accept her apologies, though she has made many attempts to atone for what she has said."

"So you blame _me_ for all of this," Link said in a voice that spoke of oncoming temper.

"No; not at all. I know how impulsive Zelda can be, and how stubborn _both _of you are," Link gave her a suspicious look, as if he didn't believe that she was truly a neutral party. "I want to help you; both of you, but I can't if you don't give me your side of the story."

"Fine," Link said with a deep huffy breath. "She came to see me after I woke up and it felt……strange. She's…….different…….more grown-up," he said, blushing. "It felt really weird being around her again after such a long time when she's changed so much."

"Link, she's growing up, just as you will do one day. But I don't really see how that has anything to do with why you won't speak to her."

"I guess it doesn't; it was just…..awkward, and it just didn't feel like we used to. Plus, I felt kind of guilty even then……about leaving, even though I needed to and ended up helping a lot of people while I was gone." His face darkened. "And that's the problem. Zelda thinks.....I was flirting with all these girls while I was gone or something when I wasn't; I was just helping them to get their eggs back and fight aliens and take milk to town without getting attacked….it's a long story," he said when he saw Impa's amused look. "But it just made me mad that she could _think_ that I would…...when……." he trailed off, blushing to the tips of his ears.

"Oh, my dear. I understand. How you feel…..about her." Link swallowed and she took his small hand in hers. "I can't say I condone it, but….this was there from the moment the two of you met, and it has endured and grown. And that's why it hurts so much," she nearly whispered, and he stared at their joined hands as two tears fell down onto his lap. The Sheikah understood what Zelda had said the morning that Link had left; watching him sit there and cry, not even bothering to wipe away the tears, was devastating. Her mother's heart felt for him, and she pulled him over into her lap. He might be the Hero of Time, but right now he was just a sad little boy, and the need to comfort him was almost overwhelming. She wrapped her arms around him and he placed his head on the front of her shoulder, his breath coming in soft sobs. She stroked his arm lightly and said, "You need to talk to her about this. Both of you are miserable; you _need_ each other, in ways that perhaps only the Goddesses themselves truly understand."

"But…..I'm scared," Link said in a thin voice before being assaulted by a new round of tears. Impa pulled him against her tightly and kissed his sweaty, puppy-dog-scented hair gently, as she would had it been Ian she was holding.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, little one. And when it's all over, you'll feel better."

"But what if I tell her and she doesn't……you know?" he said, calming himself and looking into her red eyes with his watery blue ones.

"You'll never know if you don't talk to her, will you?"

************************************************************************************

"Zelda?" Link said hesitantly, standing in the doorway between the princess' sitting room and her bedchamber a few minutes later She was still dressed but had taken down her hair and was brushing it in sections before moving them behind her shoulders.

"Link. What……what are you doing here?" she said, placing the brush on her dressing table and looking into his eyes. She could tell by looking at him that he'd been crying, and it once again felt as if a knife had gone through her heart.

"Zel, we need to talk. About a lot of things. And I need to apologize."

"Me, too. Come on; let's sit on the sofa. Impa's not here, so you can even prop your feet on the table if you'd like," she joked feebly, though it elicited a tiny smile from him.

"No; they're kinda dirty, even without my boots," he said, and she noticed for the first time that his feet, like hers, were bare, though the floor beneath them was chilly. They sat down on the sofa side by side, and after sitting in silence for a good thirty seconds, both decided to speak at once.

"Link…."

"Zelda…."

"Go ahead; you said it first."

"No I didn't; we tied."

"Well, you can have your turn….."

"Do we really want to argue about who's going to apologize first?" Link said wryly.

"No," Zelda said, a small smile creeping onto her lips as she turned her body to face him, taking his hand in hers as her face became sincere. "Link, I'm so sorry for what I said to you. I didn't want you to go, but you had to….and I'm glad you did. You were right to stay and help those people save their town, and I was just being selfish and stupid and jealous. I really am trying to keep my words inside until I think about whether or not it's a good idea to say them, but sometimes it's like I just can't stop them. And I have no right to tell you about who you can and can't help. Impa and Nabooru both told me that, and they're right. I _hate_ fighting with you; let's never do it again, okay?"

Link chuckled softly, then said, "I don't know that either of us can keep that promise, but I'm sorry, too. It was weird coming back after being gone; it's just been a few months, but it felt like a lot longer." He took a deep breath, knowing his next words wouldn't be easy, and then said, "I'm sorry for ignoring you when you wanted to talk to me. I didn't like what you said, but…..Zel…." he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand, his right one still holding hers as he looked into her eyes, "I want you to know something. You're the only girl I care about. I told you before; you're special, and I mean that. You have been since the first time I met you. And sometimes……that scares me," he said softly, and then, even softer, "I don't think ten-year-olds are supposed to feel like this."

"I know," she whispered as she lay her head down on his shoulder. "But it's almost like it's not even our choice to make; it just……. is."

"Yeah; it's kinda freaky. But in a good way, I guess," he said as he pulled his arm from her grasp and wrapped it around her shoulder. They sat silently, drawing strength from each other, healing, before she spoke again.

"Link?"

"Hmm?"

"You said that in Termina that there were people who looked like Malon and Ruto and a bunch of other people. But was there anyone there who looked like me?"

"No," he said with a smile as he pulled her tighter against him in a sideways hug. "I'm pretty sure you're one of a kind."

**Awww……we had some angst for awhile, but it ended up all sweet. But are things gonna be smooth sailing from here on out? Nope; Zelda won't let them. I had this chapter written out as one big fluff-fest, but she said, "No way; change it," and this is what we ended up with. I'm pretty happy with it, and I'm glad that I'm working with kids who used to be grown-ups; normal ten-year-olds would never say some of the stuff they do…..but then again, they're getting ever-closer to eleven (someone's having a birthday next chapter!) This chapter introduces a lot of stuff that will come into play in the future, so if certain parts seem incomplete, that's why. Oh, before I forget, my DA contest submission won first place! I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! *lol*;)**


End file.
